A Good Life
by kkwide
Summary: An accident sends Hermione to a time where the war is approaching and where she has a chance to change more than one fate. The story begins at Easter, after the snatchers have caught our golden trio (Deathly Hallows CH 23: Malfoy Manor), and it is an Alternate universe from there.
1. Malfoy Manor

**Summary:** An accident sends Hermione to a time where the war is approaching and where she has a chance to change more than one fate. The story begins at Easter, after the snatchers have caught our golden trio (Deathly Hallows CH 23: Malfoy Manor), and it is an Alternate universe from there.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the Harry Potter universe and no money is being made from this story.

 **A/N:** This is my first attempt at FanFiction, started mainly because while I've read several great stories, there's always been something missing to me (in plot/pairing/etc), so I decided to write a fic for myself, and make it exactly the way I wanted it to be! And now I'm sharing it with you guys.

So, this is my version of a Hermione/Time-Turner fic, and the pairings are as follows: Hermione/Sirius Black, Hermione/Regulus Black, Lily/James Potter, Remus Lupin/Mary McDonald, Alice/Frank Longbottom, and probably some other, minor couples. The first chapter is rather short, but the following chapters will be longer. The story itself will be long. I don't have any posting schedule per se, but I'll try updating at least every other week.

And a small reminder about the rating: For some readers this chapter (and possibly later ones as well) might contain some disturbing material.

Happy reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 01: Malfoy Manor**

 **April 10th 1998 (Good Friday, Easter)**

"STOP!" shrieked Bellatrix, "Do not touch it, or we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"

Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his Dark Mark.

"What is that?" Bellatrix demanded warningly.

"It's a sword," one of the Snatchers grunted.

"Give it to me," Bellatrix hissed sharply.

"No, It's mine, I reckon. I found it," he replied and then there was a flash of red light; Bellatrix had stunned the Snatcher with a flick of her wrist. There was a roar of anger from his fellows.

"Stupefy!" Bellatrix screamed, "Stupefy!"

They were no match for her, even though there were four of them against one of her. She was a witch, with immense skills and no conscience, after all. The Snatchers fell where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been forced into a kneeling position, immobilised. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Bellatrix bearing down upon the werewolf, the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in her hand, and an anxious look in her eyes.

"Where did you get this sword?" Bellatrix whispered to Greyback as she pried his wand from his fingers.

"How dare you?" he snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move as he was forced to gaze up at her. He bared his pointed teeth. "Release me, woman!"

"Where did you find this sword?" she repeated, raising it up in front of him. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"

"It was with them," Greyback growled, his eyes flickering to Harry, Hermione and Ron. "Release me, now!"

Bellatrix waved her wand, and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but appeared too wary to approach her. He moved behind an armchair, his filthy curved nails clutching its back.

"Draco, move this scum outside," said Bellatrix, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."

"Don't you dare speak to Draco like –" Narcissa hissed furiously, but Bellatrix interrupted her.

"Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!" She screamed, panting slightly, and looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners.

"If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself…But if he finds out…I must…I must know…"

She turned back to her sister again. "The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"

Narcissa hesitated for a moment, and then addressed the werewolf. "Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."

"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply, an evil glint in her eyes. "All except…Except for the Mudblood," she said gleefully, and Greyback gave a grunt of amusement.

"No!" Ron yelled, struggling against his restraints. "You can have me, keep me!" Ron continued desperately and winced in pain as Bellatrix hit him across the face, the blow echoing around the room.

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," Bellatrix said lightly. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet."

She threw Greyback's wand back to him, and then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners, and then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across the room towards a dark passageway, his wand held out in front of him, projecting an invisible and irresistible force.

Bellatrix grabbed Hermione by her bushy hair once more and drew her face up close to hers.

"Now, little Mudblood. Tell me, where did you get that sword?" She said viciously and Hermione winced at the sudden pain running through her scalp. Bellatrix pulled her hair hard, and Hermione was sure a handful of it had gone off when the mad woman suddenly stopped as though to give her time to answer.

Bellatrix then grabbed Hermione's chin roughly and forced her to look up at her. Hermione tried to suppress a whimper of fear and tried to struggle free. Her actions only made Bellatrix squeeze her jaw with more force, causing Hermione to sob involuntarily.

Hermione shook her head hastily and stuttered, "I-I don't know."

She didn't even notice the blow across her face before her cheek started stinging with pain. Hermione cried out and staggered to the side, surprised and scared. Bellatrix aimed a kick at her and with a moan of pain, Hermione collapsed to the ground on her knees.

"Crucio," Bellatrix said silkily.

A split second after, Hermione was in a never ending agony. It felt like someone had poured a barrel of petrol on her and then set her on fire. It burned, it hurt, it ripped her insides apart, turned her skin inside out and back again. It was like someone was stabbing her with a thousand needles and like every cell of her body turned into burning coal.

And then it was over. She was lying on her stomach, panting as the aftershocks of pain flowed through her, the fingernails on her left hand broken and bleeding from scratching the marble floor with them when she was under the curse. She heard the clicking noise of high heels getting closer.

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?"

"We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Hermione screamed when Bellatrix kicked her to her ribs.

"You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" Bellatrix shrieked and kicked her again to her ribs so hard that Hermione was turned on her back from the force. She moaned with pain, her vision blurring.

"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"

Hermione merely whimpered from pain and fear.

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as the searing pain filled her again. She thrashed on the floor, clawing at herself, trying to rip the skin from her body with her bleeding nails. Her back arched and her eyes were lolling in her aching head that felt like at any moment it was going to burst. Then the pain subsided again, and her head hit the floor hard.

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix screamed. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed, her voice hoarse from screaming. "We've never been inside your vault…It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find that out easily!" came Lucius's voice from distance. "Greyback, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

There was a short silence and all Hermione could hear were footsteps on the marble floor, her head too heavy to turn it and watch her surroundings.

"Well?" Bellatrix asked Griphook after they had dragged the goblin from the cellar and brought him in front of the sword. "Is it the true sword?"

Hermione waited, holding her breath, fighting against unconsciousness that was threatening to take over.

"No," Griphook said quietly. "It is a fake."

"Are you sure?" Bellatrix asked hastily. "Quite sure?"

"Yes," said the goblin without hesitation.

Hermione grit her teeth against the biting pain in her head and focused her eyes at Bellatrix. She saw relief fill the Death Eater's eyes, as if all tension had been drained from her.

"Good," Bellatrix said, and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed a deep cut into the goblin's face, and Griphook dropped with a yell to her feet. She kicked him aside.

"And now," Bellatrix spoke with a voice that was brimming with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!" She pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.

"And I think," Bellatrix continued, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her." Bellatrix said while she walked to sit down on an armchair, ready to watch the scene play out in front of her, her mouth turned into a vicious smirk.

Greyback let out a quiet laugh as he approached slowly Hermione, who was still sprawled on the floor, nearly unconscious.

A moment later, her hazy mind registered him leering at her maniacally, and she shuddered as the waves of nausea and fear rolled over her.

"Delicious girl...what a treat…I do enjoy the softness of the skin…" the Werewolf said with a rasping voice before he gripped her knees, prying her legs apart and kneeling between them. He ran his hands along her thighs, his sharp fingernails tearing through her jeans but not yet marring her skin.

"I love them young…and squirming," he growled, revealing his pointed brown teeth.

Hermione was sent into another wave of nausea by his smell – dirt, sweat and blood.

"So innocent…" Greyback grunted and leaned closer, breathing in her scent, his dirty face mere inches away from Hermione's neck.

He licked her neck, dragging his tongue along her jawbone, and Hermione sobbed silently, too tired to fight back, too scared to move a muscle.

Greyback stood back onto his knees, his filthy hands sliding up her inner thighs once again, ripping at the fabric of her jeans. When he pressed his fingers on her skin, nearing the junction of her thighs, Hermione's mind sharpened momentarily and she gained enough strength to scream and kick him in the head.

The werewolf shouted in surprise and pain as he was knocked to the side, while Hermione scrambled up into a kneeling position.

"You bitch!" Greyback growled angrily and lunged at Hermione, but was stopped by a spell Bellatrix had cast.

Bellatrix cackled from the other side of the room. "A feisty little Mudblood slut, aren't you," She said silkily. "So defiant, so…Gryffindor," she said darkly and grinned as she stood up from her armchair, her eyes flashing with mirth.

"All that for nothing." She smiled at her venomously, holding the knife again in her hand. "Should I entertain myself by letting Greyback here on the loose, or do we just end your life here, right now? Would you like to beg for mercy, little Mudblood?"

Hermione stood up, slowly, shakily, and spat a mouthful of blood to the marble floor, towards Bellatrix.

The witch cackled again and raised her wand. "How rude of you, my little Mudblood. I think Greyback here should teach you a lesson, what do you think my dear?" She tutted and smiled maniacally.

Greyback growled from his place and glared at Bellatrix for keeping him still and not able to move.

"Even so, I myself have more important things to focus on to right now, I'm sure you understand, Mudblood. It might be the best for you to be on your way before the Dark Lord arrives."

Hermione knew there was no escape, not when she was wandless, facing a maniac woman with quick reflexes and a bloodthirst werewolf, growling behind her. The only help she could have had was locked somewhere in the basement. She was all alone, without anything to help her escape. There was no more time for anything.

Then, she remembered something.

Before they had left Hogwarts last year, after Dumbledore's funeral, Hermione had sneaked into the former Headmaster's office to collect some rare and forbidden books on Horcruxes, along with other few items she thought they would need on their journey. She had stumbled upon a Time-Turner when going through his desk drawers. It was similar to the one Hermione had used in her third year, the one Professor McGonagall had lent her. It had been too tempting not to take it with her. She had kept the Time-Turner hidden, disillusioned from everyone else, even Ron and Harry, intending to use it only in extreme danger. Which was now.

Hermione grabbed the Time-Turner quickly, praying to Merlin she had enough time to turn back time. Her fingers fumbled on the hourglass, rotating it over as she saw a curse forming on Bellatrix's lips.

Time seemed to be crawling, and Hermione felt a coldness prickling in her spine as a green light erupted from Bellatrix's wand, inching slowly towards her. She could almost hear the Time-Turner clicking between her fingers, the rings starting to rotate around the hourglass.

She swallowed and then the curse reached her. At least she thought it had. Hermione didn't have time to look up, or even take a breath before the room started to glow with light and then spin uncontrollably. The spinning became faster, and faster until she couldn't see anything anymore, as the Malfoy Manor disappeared around her.

Hermione knew she was moving backwards in time, but it had never felt like this. Never had it felt like she was descending into something bottomless, something endless. It felt like hours, weeks, years even. She tried to scream, but no voice came out. She could see only darkness and light surrounding her. The speed was slowly becoming unbearable, like it was never going to end, like it would swallow her into nothingness.

And then she met ground with a sickening thud. Hermione moaned from pain again and lost consciousness.


	2. Hospital wing

**A/N:** Thank you for reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 02: Hospital wing**

Hermione stirred from her sleep, her head throbbing. What had happened? Where was she? Was she still alive?

Her nostrils filled with a familiar scent of potions and something else. She knew the smell from her memory, for she had smelled it quite a few times before. It was the smell of a Hospital. More specifically the Hospital wing in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Slowly opening her eyes, Hermione blinked in the darkness of the room, only a faint light of the morning coming through the windows. The dawn was just about to break the sky outside. It was quiet. There was no yelling or fighting, and no maniac werewolves or psychopath witches threatening her. It was the safe and comfortable room she had visited so many times during her years in the school.

But the school wasn't safe anymore. It had been taken over by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Panic started to rise inside her, and she hissed in pain as she tried to sit up quickly. There was a movement next to her, and she noticed only then that she wasn't alone in the room. Hermione turned towards the figure, a man, and she let out a loud gasp when she realised who he was.

Albus Dumbledore.

Her previous Headmaster, who was…dead. But now he wasn't. He in fact was sitting next to her bed, studying her closely over his half-moon spectacles, the familiar twinkle in his eyes.

 _What in the name of Merlin was this?_

"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione croaked, still gaping at him. She tried to gather her thoughts to answer the question on what the hell was happening. Clearly, she had managed to travel to the past, since Dumbledore was alive and sitting right in front of her, but how far back in time had she gone? What should she say to him? What _could_ she say to him?

He studied her with his bright, blue eyes that sparkled with delight, mischief, and curiosity.

"You know who I am, Miss…?" he asked kindly, looking at her searchingly.

Hermione stared at him in shock. "Y-You don't know who I am?" She whispered. _What was happening? Why didn't he recognise her?_

A small frown appeared between the Headmaster's brows. "I'm afraid I haven't met you," he said steadily.

Hermione blinked, utterly confused by his answer. _He didn't know who she was? How far in the past had she travelled if Dumbledore hadn't even met her?_

Knowing she had to say something, Hermione cleared her throat before she spoke, her voice wavering. "Um…I'm Hermione Granger, sir."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said and smiled at her. "I have to say, I am rather curious to hear your story, and how you came to be in the castle. Firstly, I should tell you, that there are wards to prevent Apparition, and secondly, if the wards are somehow breached, I will be notified immediately. For some reason, I was not notified of your arrival earlier this week." He said thoughtfully. "And imagine my surprise when opening my office door in the morning, and instead of finding everything like I left them, I stumbled on you." He added with a chuckle.

Hermione swallowed deeply. _Had she landed into Dumbledore's office?_ "I…I didn't exactly Apparate, sir…" She muttered, and tried not to think about her appearance during her arrival. Her dirty, ripped clothes. A shiver of nausea went through her spine as she remembered who had torn them.

"Oh?" Dumbledore asked with an intrigued expression in his eyes.

She worried her lip. What exactly could she tell him about her arrival? She obviously had travelled a long way back, if Dumbledore didn't know who she was…She remembered when she'd used a Time-Turner in her third year, and the rules regarding its use. The most important of them was; not to be seen by anyone. _Well, that was certainly is out of the question now…_

"I'm not sure if I _can_ tell you how was it that I came here, sir." Hermione said pointedly, studying the Headmaster's reaction to her words, wondering if he would understand the true meaning behind her words.

Dumbledore eyed her for a moment before he spoke. "I presume you are not from this _time_?"

Hermione's eyes widened with relief and surprise, but she said nothing. If there was one person who wouldn't be fazed by a sudden arrival of a time-traveller, it was Dumbledore.

Dumbledore hummed. "That would certainly explain why I do not know you, but you obviously have met me, correct?" He asked kindly, and Hermione gave him a hesitant nod.

She knew she could trust Dumbledore, and she needed someone's – _his_ – help to get her back to where she came from. In order to make progress with that, she had to tell him something.

"I…It was April, 1998 for me the last time I was awake. I was in a situation where I had to use a Time-Turner, only to get a couple of hours back in time. But that apparently didn't happen…"

Dumbledore's brows lifted in surprise and then he frowned. "I'm afraid not, my dear. You have come a long way back. Far longer than you intended." He muttered.

"Sir? What...what year is it?" She asked, bracing herself.

Dumbledore let out a weary sigh and gave her a sympathetic look. "It is 1977, dear."

Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "W-What? How? Oh Godric!" She cried anxiously, her insides twisting with nausea. "How? How is that even possible?" She continued, her voice and body trembling with shock.

Dumbledore eyed her carefully before he spoke. "Why don't you start from the beginning? …The situation you were in? Perhaps we can solve this matter together." He said reassuringly.

Hermione fought against the numbness that had started to spread in her stomach. How was she ever going to get back? She rubbed her face, trying to think where to start, not really wanting to explain the events at the Malfoy Manor.

"I - we were captured by Death Eaters, and…some of them, they...they tortured me to find out how we acquired a certain item. They thought it had been in their possession, and so they must've assumed we had stolen it, but we didn't really, we found it…" She explained vaguely, her mind whirling a bit as she remembered Bellatrix's frightened expression when she had thought that they had been inside her vault.

 _What else did the woman keep in there, if she was that frightened?_

Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly. "You were tortured…By Voldemort's followers?" He asked gravely.

Hermione nodded and looked down, not able to face the hint of pity that was flickering into the Headmaster's eyes.

"And the item was?" Dumbledore asked after a short moment.

Hermione winced inwardly. "The sword of Gryffindor." She said, looking back at him as the Headmaster stiffened. _How was she going to explain this?_

"You had the sword of Gryffindor in your possession?" He asked quietly, his blue eyes moving quickly across her face.

Hermione nodded.

"And you escaped your captors with the help of a Time-Turner?" He asked, continuing their conversation.

She nodded again. "Yes, I did. Someone sent a killing curse towards me, and it must've had collided with the Time-Turner, that I had just set to turn back. But I'm not sure why it brought me here though..." She said unsurely, eyeing the Headmaster.

He nodded slowly and stared at the floor thoughtfully. "You and I are acquainted where you came from?" He asked and Hermione nodded.

"I've studied in Hogwarts, started my first year on September, 1991," Hermione said quickly.

Dumbledore looked contemplative before he spoke, "And has the future me ever come across of this Time-Turner you had in your use?" He asked slowly.

Hermione felt her cheeks colour with embarrassment. "I...might've borrowed it from your office..." She said quietly, expecting the Headmaster to be shocked by her actions. But instead Dumbledore's mouth twisted into a small smile, and he seemed to be rather amused at the thought of her sneaking into his office. But then, this past Dumbledore didn't know how dire the situation had been, and he didn't know her - that she would only do that when there was no other choice.

"Perhaps it is possible I myself have placed a spell into your Time-Turner, which allowed you to breach the wards to the school." He said logically.

"That makes sense." Hermione muttered. _That would be a very Dumbledorish thing to do…To charm the Time-Turner to come back to him._

"So…what now?" Hermione asked hesitantly. "How do I go back?" She asked and worried her lip.

Dumbledore eyed her for a moment. "I'm afraid I do not know a way to send you back." He said solemnly.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. _No...He had to have a way to help her. Dumbledore's the most powerful wizard she knew...there had to be something._

"And even if there was a way, it would be highly risky to take action. Have you studied Time magic, Miss Granger? Are you aware of Eloise Mintumble and her experiments with time travel?"

Hermione had read about the attempts to travel back in time further than a few hours. They had all resulted in catastrophic harm to the time traveller. All experiments of time travelling over great distances were abandoned after Eloise Mintumble, an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries' Time Room, had travelled five centuries back in time, and had been trapped for five days in the year 1402. When she was finally retrieved to the present, her body had aged five centuries and she died. She had also altered the life paths of the people she met, changing the course of their lives in a way that caused many of their descendants to vanish in the present.

Hermione swallowed hard and stared at the Headmaster in shock. "So…If I'd go back to my own time, I would age twenty years?"

Dumbledore hummed. "There is a good chance of that happening. Or, the future you know might not even be the same anymore if you would return, since your mere presence might have had changed the history already, creating an alternate timeline." He concluded unaffectedly.

"An alternate timeline..." She whispered, frowning in confusion. _How would she know if one had been created?_ _And how would one return from something like that?_ She swallowed deeply. "If another timeline is created by changing history, wouldn't that mean..." She muttered, her voice trailing off. _How had she and Harry then been able to change Sirius's and Buckbeak's_ _fates on their third year, without creating another timeline? ...Had they created another timeline then?_

Hermione shook her hear slightly, trying to focus in the present... _or, well...past_. "If I wanted to go back to my original timeline - if that even is a possibility - I wouldn't be able to change anything...?" She whispered, her voice giving away how uneasy she felt by the thought. How would she even know if she accidentally caused something to change, just by discussing now with Dumbledore, unaware that her actions affected her future and destroyed her chances of returning to where she came from.

And then there was the other side of the coin, the possibility to actually change something, make something better, to save people. The most horrible images seemed to surge into the forefront of her mind just then. Harry losing his parents, losing his godfather, fighting against Voldemort year after year. Cedric Diggory, unmoving on the soft grass after the third triwizard task. Mad-Eye, killed during their diversion to get Harry into safety, and Dumbledore...Dumbledore lying motionless in the courtyard, while Death Eaters were slowly taking over Hogwarts. Wouldn't it still mean that everyone in that original timeline was going to continue their lives as they were?

"Would you be able to not change anything?" He asked quietly, staring straight into her eyes, a questioning look in his. She knew what he was asking, what he was about to do. She gave him a small nod of acceptance and immediately felt an uncomfortable sensation when her memories started swirling inside her head. He was looking into her mind, looking through the memories most forefront in there. Hermione had studied a bit of Occlumency during their time on the run, but she knew she had no chance of closing her mind from him. Not that she necessarily wanted to close her mind from him.

A moment later, Dumbledore looked away, tired and overwhelmed. "I'm afraid I do not know the answer to your question, Miss Granger," He said quietly and moved his gaze back to her. "I can only guess, and I would assume that time were to behave so that if you are indeed in an alternate timeline, it might seem like you are changing the events from your original timeline - from your past - but in fact you are not, since the new timeline would act as your future. And on the other hand, if your actions haven't yet caused the creation of another timeline, you wouldn't be able to change anything since it has already happened," Dumbledore explained wisely.

Hermione felt stunned by the explanation and closed her eyes, leaning back to the bed. Her head had started to ache, as her mind was trying to solve this complex question of timelines for her.

Dumbledore studied her features for a while before he cleared his throat and stood up. "I can see we could use a small break in this discussion, to let everything sink in before we continue. You should rest now, Miss Granger. I will come see you later on," he said and turned to leave.

Hermione gave him a tired nod, grateful to be able to close her eyes for a moment. Still, there was a small detail she wanted to know. "Sir?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"What day is today?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

"It is July 31st, my dear." The Headmaster smiled and with a final nod to her, he left the hospital wing.

"Harry's birthday," Hermione whispered to the empty hospital wing. Although he wasn't even born yet, the day still brought her best friend into her mind. There had to be a way for her to go back, she was sure of it. Dumbledore would figure it out. As she was drifting off to sleep, the last thought she had was, that perhaps this was all a horrible nightmare and soon she was going to wake up beside her best friends.

* * *

Hermione woke up to hustling sound next to her bed. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing Madam Pomfrey adjusting a collection of potions at the nightstand next to her bed.

"Oh, good afternoon, Miss Granger," She said with a kind smile. "Feeling better?" She asked, already waving her wand over Hermione's body, performing diagnostic charms on her.

Hermione blinked rapidly, taking in her surroundings. She was instantly disappointed as she realised she was still in the wrong era, by merely looking around the room.

"I'm…Okay, I guess." She muttered, taking a Vitamix potion Madam Pomfrey handed to her and gulping it down.

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Good. Your internal injuries have healed up nicely, as well as the after-effects of the…um…curses you endured." She said carefully. Hermione swallowed.

"What happened to you?" Madam Pomfrey asked sombrely, her previous smile vanished.

Hermione cringed a bit. "I…Don't really want to talk about it…at least not yet." She said hesitantly.

Madam Pomfrey nodded understandingly. "Hungry?" She asked, eyeing her searchingly.

Hermione's stomach rumbled from the mere suggestion. "Yes, I suppose I am," she said with a small smile.

"I'll bring you something right away," Pomfrey said briskly and left to her office.

A moment later Hermione had a bowl of chicken soup and a piece of bread on a tray that was placed next to her on the table. She started eating as Pomfrey made another set of spells to check her health.

"How long was I out?" Hermione asked after she took a sip of water.

"Two days," Pomfrey replied grimly. "The Headmaster found you in his study on Friday morning, covered in bruises and shaking from the after-effects of dark curses," Madam Pomfrey said with concern in her eyes.

Hermione said nothing and resumed to her meal, and Madam Pomfrey didn't press any more information. She did tell her where she could freshen up, though, and brought Hermione's things in a small box, leaving it to the foot of her bed before heading back to her office.

The box contained her ripped and dirty clothes and her beaded bag she had disillusioned to her hip, under her shirt just before they were attacked by the snatchers. The only thing she truly missed, that wasn't there, was her wand. She sighed heavily, and even though she knew she was able to obtain a new wand in this time, she still felt disappointed for losing her first wand.

After she had finished her meal, Hermione went to the bathroom and grabbed a set of fresh clothes from her beaded bag, grateful that the bag at least had survived her trip to the past, as well as the encounter with the snatchers. After a long and relaxing shower she dressed up and felt considerably better.

When she returned to her hospital bed, Dumbledore was waiting for her at the ward.

"Good to see you again, Miss Granger. I hope you are feeling well?" Dumbledore asked from Hermione, glancing at Madam Pomfrey who came to make another set of diagnostic spells on Hermione.

"I'm feeling fine," Hermione said and smiled reassuringly.

"Poppy? Is she ready to be discharged?" Dumbledore asked from Madam Pomfrey, who nodded.

"Yes, I have surveyed her health and it seems she is recovering rather nicely," she replied to the Headmaster before turning to Hermione. "You may leave, Miss Granger." She said kindly. "And please come to see me if you experience any pain, or if you need anything else, is that clear?"

Hermione nodded. "I will."

"Now, would you kindly join me in my office, Miss Granger, so we can continue our discussion from earlier?" Dumbledore asked and smiled at her.

Hermione nodded and tried to smile back. "Yes, of course, sir."

She followed him out of the hospital wing, and they walked through the familiar corridors, passing several familiar paintings before they reached the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's study.

As they walked into his office, Dumbledore gestured for her to sit opposite to him, in front of his desk as he took his place behind it. Hermione glanced at the wall that was covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were eyeing her curiously from their frames.

"So," Dumbledore started, crossing his fingers on the table. "Where did we leave off?" He asked kindly.

Hermione sighed and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "To the fact that we do not know how to send me back to the future, and to the correct timeline," she said dejectedly. It was problematic enough to send her back to the future without a Time-Turner, but then there was the question of timelines. _How could she be sure? Or was it even something she should have to worry, if there wasn't anything she could do to change that?_

Dumbledore hummed in acknowledgement. "Yes, unfortunately I do not have the information you seek. I have no experience of travelling in time, and I do not know if it is indeed possible to change the events in one's past without severe consequences, without creating an alternate timeline. But that won't mean there's nothing we can do about it." He said simply.

Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh?"

Dumbledore stared at her silently for a moment. "I suggest we research your situation and then we try to find a suitable solution for all of us," He said obscurely.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked with a hint of suspicion.

He smiled. "I trust you are aware that I looked into your mind earlier today?" He asked, and Hermione nodded.

"I may not hold the exact information about the future you have, but what I saw, was a place and time without light. The things I saw made me do a great bit of reflective thinking," Dumbledore said carefully.

Hermione frowned. _If only he knew…And perhaps he did?_ "So…what are you suggesting? That I try to change things?" Hermione asked finally, her voice trembling slightly.

Dumbledore nodded seriously.

Hermione wanted to scoff at the careless way this past Dumbledore was thinking. "You would intentionally want to take a risk of creating an alternate timeline? And with that, take away the possibility for me to return to my own time?" She asked sharply, her mind in turmoil, drawn by the idea of destroying Voldemort before he could rise again, and horrified by the thought of not seeing her friends and family again.

Dumbledore gave her a thoughtful look. "Miss Granger...have you travelled in time before?" He asked lightly.

Hermione frowned at his question. "Yes, I have," she said slowly.

"I assumed you had. Well then, could you tell me, Miss Granger, has there been a time, during your trips in the past, when you might have changed something?" He asked, a scrutinising look in his blue eyes.

Hermione chewed her bottom lip. Of course there had been the possibility that she had unintentionally changed something. But there certainly was the one time when she and Harry had intentionally changed the events in the past. But what confused her the most, Harry had explained to her then, that at least some of the events had already happened, suggesting that they in fact hadn't changed everything they originally had thought.

She let out a long sigh. "Yes...there was an occurrence..." She muttered, not sure if she could give him any details about it.

Dumbledore lifted his brows at her. "Oh? And were you actually able to change something, with everything else staying as it had been?"

Hermione shook her head in frustration. "No. Yes. I don't know! I mean, it was only a couple of hours, not...not twenty years!" She said desperately. "And...and what we changed...I'm not sure if everything changed after all, or was some of it just...happening like it should have..." She muttered, her ramblings not really making sense even to her.

Dumbledore nodded and tapped his fingertips together as he studied her. "So you might say that regardless of your attempts, at least some of the events came to pass because...they had already happened? And by your actions, you still stayed in that same timeline?" He asked curiously.

Hermione sighed. "I...I don't know. I think so," She said, feeling helpless.

"If that would be the case, regardless what your actions are now, everything would stay the same, if you were to return back to your time, yes?" He questioned calmly.

But...but what if it wasn't like that? What if another timeline would be created because of her actions? That would depend on the theory of time travel. Was it impossible to actually reshape the future by travelling into the past? Was it impossible to change anything for the better for her friends and family? _But she had changed something with Harry._

If she was able to return, would there be any of her friends and family left? Their situation had been hopeless, the moment before she had left from the Malfoy Manor. Voldemort had been summoned, the place was crawling with Death Eaters, and the Order hadn't been there to save them this time.

If this was in fact an alternate timeline, the people in this timeline would face the same horrors as had happened in her time. And if there was a possibility to change the events of her past, was she truly not going to do that?

Did Dumbledore even realise how much he was asking from her?

"I have a life out there, somewhere. Waiting for me. I have friends and family waiting for me!" She exclaimed quietly. "…What if I lose them if I change something? What if I don't exist anymore if I change something?" She asked, her eyes burning from unshed tears.

Dumbledore gave her a sympathetic smile. "What if you could change something to make someone's life better? To make someone suffer less?" He asked softly. "Would you take the risk?"

Hermione took a deep breath. Would she? This time Harry could have his parents, and his godfather. He and Ron would never have to bear the burden what all three of them did when they were on the run, trying to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. Ginny would never be compelled by Voldemort. This was her chance to make the world she knew better. But was she really ready to sacrifice her own life for it? For everyone else? _For the greater good._

And what if she didn't do anything? She'd have to stay unseen by everyone, she couldn't talk to anyone, and it could take weeks, months, even years before she'd find a way to return to her time. The Time-Turner was destroyed, and Dumbledore had outright told her that he didn't know a way for her to return. If it was even a possibility anymore. All she knew, this could now be the alternative timeline, as Dumbledore had suggested. Was she able to just stand back and let everything bad happen while she waited to get home? Was she able to let her loved ones in this time suffer once again?

Would she take the risk of losing her chances to get back home if there were so many lives she could save? If there was so much good she could do? If there was a war, or, perhaps two wars, she could prevent?

She sighed. "Yes. I would." She whispered quietly, staring at the table numbly.

Dumbledore nodded, and they stayed silent for a long time before he spoke again. "Miss Granger?" He asked hesitantly.

Hermione swallowed, knowing where she ought to start. "He, um…Voldemort...split his soul into seven pieces," she said steadily, looking at the Headmaster. "He's made Horcruxes."

Dumbledore's eyes widened a bit. After a long moment, he spoke. "That…is definitely worrisome news."

"I agree." She said quietly and frowned. "…I know what most of them are, and where a few of them are situated. We destroyed three of them, before we got captured. At this point, I think he has created only five."

They were both silent for a while, until Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Will you help me to destroy them?"

Hermione chewed the corner of her mouth. "I…" She hesitated. This was her chance to make things better. "Yes, I will." She said unsteadily, feeling hollow and hopeful at the same time.

Dumbledore gave her a warm smile. "And I'm grateful for that, Miss Granger."

Hermione didn't know how to reply to him, so she merely glanced outside from the large windows in the Headmaster's office. It was a beautiful summer day. Almost evening already. She saw a flock of birds to cross her line of vision as the sun was descending slowly, still giving a bright golden light to the grounds.

"I suggest we continue to make our plans in a couple of days, after you have settled down, and from there we could meet regularly, perhaps twice a month? We need to go through every bit of information you have, and as you said, the Horcruxes are hidden, so we can assume that they will be in the same places even after we have formed a plan."

Hermione was astonished how easily the past Dumbledore was making plans to change the future. This certainly was not what she had expected.

"Sure. But, um…settled down? I don't actually have anywhere I could go…" She said with bewilderment.

Dumbledore smiled and eyed her thoughtfully. "Have you finished your schooling in Hogwarts?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. I didn't return for my seventh year since we were on the run, hunting for the Horcruxes."

Dumbledore looked intrigued but he merely nodded. "Then I suggest that you attend Hogwarts for your seventh year, starting on September 1st," He said in a simple manner.

Hermione was startled by his proposition. Of course, it was tempting, and the more she thought of it, the necessary it came to be. If she was trying to change the future, she had to befriend or at least influence on certain people, and the best place was to be amongst them. Not to mention that she actually enjoyed the studying part.

"Yes, I would like that, sir." She answered with a small smile. Now that it was decided, that she would try to change the events in the past, it was easier to feel happy for smaller things. Things she wasn't expecting to receive anymore.

"Splendid!" He beamed at her. "Now we should decide how we are going to explain your presence in this time."

"Sir?" She asked, frowning at him.

"We need to make up something to explain the reason why you are here, and attending Hogwarts only for the seventh year. I think it would be beneficial to say that you are a relative of a wizarding family in Britain, and have recently moved from abroad. That could diminish some curiosity from the others, and the likelihood of anyone examining your origins," Dumbledore explained, steepling his fingers and eyeing to the distance in thought.

"But who would agree to that? Who can I trust in here?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Dumbledore smiled. "There is an obvious solution to this. Have you met my brother Aberforth?"

Hermione shook her head cautiously. "No, I haven't," She responded slowly.

"He lives in the Hogsmeade village, and owns the Hog's Head pub there," Dumbledore explained. "Aberforth can offer you a place to live, as well as adopt you as his daughter." He said steadily.

Hermione spluttered. "I'm sorry?" She asked, gaping at the Headmaster. "Adopting me…?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I understand it might be a bit too much, but I assure you, it is best if done officially. Fewer questions and fewer possibilities for anyone to investigate you." He explained.

Hermione stared at him with her brows lifted. She didn't know what to say.

"We could say that until recently, you lived with your mother in Australia, and studied there at The Australian Wizarding School. But, because your mother recently passed away, you decided to return to Britain, to be with your remaining family. With your arrival, you took your father's surname again." He said, eyeing her reaction carefully, before asking, "How does that sound?"

Hermione still stared at him in shock, trying to swallow the lump from her throat. She could only think of her real parents, of whom she had sent to Australia. She shook the depressing thoughts away and concentrated on the now. "Does Aberforth agree to this? I mean…we haven't even met each other and he's willing to _adopt_ a stranger?" She asked in disbelief.

Dumbledore smiled tightly. "He will do it. Even if he didn't jump for joy at the opportunity, he still wants the same thing as we all do. To stop Voldemort. But…I think you'll find that out once you get to know him."

"Oh. Okay." Hermione said, still unsure how to continue. "So…What now? Where do I go?" She asked, her thoughts becoming splintered.

Dumbledore beamed at her. "You should stay in the castle tonight, and perhaps tomorrow, you could visit Diagon Alley, to purchase a new wand and some of your other school supplies?" He asked kindly.

Hermione frowned. "I, um…I don't think I have enough money left…" She muttered, feeling embarrassed. Before they had gone on the run with Harry and Ron, Hermione had gathered her savings for them, but the money had slowly got spent. In the end, they had been starving, living off with mushrooms and berries.

He chuckled. "Well, as you are going to be a part of the Dumbledore family, I think it is only appropriate we take care of you," He said lightly and pulled a bag of galleons from his desk drawer, handing it to her.

Hermione took it hesitantly, thanking him. She was stunned from everything they had agreed. _How had he managed to sort out all of that during the few hours after meeting her in the first place?_

They agreed that she would go to Diagon Alley the next day, using the Headmaster's floo, and she would go straight to Hog's Head after purchasing the necessary items. Dumbledore then escorted her to the guest quarters of the castle, and after bidding her good night, he left her alone, his purple and yellow robes swishing quietly as he walked along the corridor.


	3. Adopting a new life

**Chapter 03: Adopting a new life**

 **August 1st, 1977 (Monday)**

The next morning Hermione stepped into the fireplace in Dumbledore's office, arriving to the Leaky Cauldron moments after. She had breakfast there, while thinking over all the details she had to include with the Headmaster in order to stop Voldemort, as well as worrying of her return to her own time.

She knew she had made a decision the previous day, that she had decided to change things even if it meant that she wasn't able to return to her old life. She had stayed awake and thought about it for several hours. Hermione presumed it was the matter of how time worked. Either she was stuck in another timeline because of her arrival into this time, or...maybe, just maybe, it was possible to change the events in her past - like she and Harry had changed Sirius's and Buckbeak's fates - and return home, where her friends and family were. But what if what she was about to do, was just the factor that would cause her future to be entirely different? A future where she wasn't friends with Harry or Ron, because there wouldn't have been a troll and the constant fight against Voldemort. And whatever was going to happen, there was still the possibility of her ageing twenty years the moment she'd return. How could she then continue her life as it had been?

After breakfast Hermione left towards Flourish and Blotts in search of her new schoolbooks with a couple of other tomes she reckoned would be useful for her later on. She spent a good couple of hours in the bookshop, skimming through some of the books regarding Time Magic before she left to pick up the rest of the necessary items she needed for her seventh school year. She stopped by Madam Malkins, where she bought herself new school robes, and then visited the Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment for a new set of crystal phials and new silver scales.

Finally, it was way past lunch time as she arrived at the Ollivander's wand shop. Gold letters over the door read _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._ Hermione took in a nervous breath before she entered the shop, feeling excitement course through her.

"Um...Hello?" She called to the empty shop and walked forward towards the counter.

"Good day," said a voice behind her, which made her jump. It was Mr Ollivander, smiling and eyeing her with curiosity. "What can I do for you, Miss?"

"Well, I'm in need of a new wand. I recently moved back to Britain from Australia and unfortunately lost my wand on the way here." She improvised, and hoped he didn't see right through her.

Ollivander nodded and said, "Very well then. Would you hold out your arm so that I can measure you?" He asked, and Hermione complied. It took some time as Mr Ollivander measured her from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. Just like he had done when she had been eleven and she had gone to Diagon Alley with Minerva McGonagall to get her school supplies.

As he measured, he spoke to her. "As you have previously owned a wand, you must know all the basic information about them. But I am curious to know, what was the wand you used to have? It isn't every day you run into a foreign wandcraft," Ollivander said curiously.

Hermione was quite relieved at that moment that she was a bookworm. She had actually researched foreign wandcraft, interested of what components were used around the world. For fun and knowledge, of course.

"Oh…It was a Red Gum Wood with a Thunderbird tail feather." She said quickly.

Ollivander blinked, and seemed to be surprised. "A powerful wand in Potions and Transfiguration, I presume?"

She gave him a tight smile. "Yes, it was."

Ollivander went to the shelves for a moment and returned with a stack of boxes he set on the counter. She nervously wondered if her old wand would be amongst the many other wands he'd brought to her.

He pulled out the first wand for her to try. It was an eleven-inch cherry wand with a dragon heartstring core and when Hermione gave it a swish, a massive fire torch emitted from its tip. Hermione blanched, not expecting that at all.

Ollivander chuckled and took the wand from her, "Definitely not this one. Let's try another, shall we?" And he handed her the next. Soon it was the fifth wand she was trying out, and Hermione started to feel a bit anxious. _What if none of these wands chose her?_ She took the next wand Ollivander offered to her and instantly felt a surge of power course through her. It was nearly intoxicating feeling, and she knew this was it. This was the wand that had chosen her. _But it wasn't her old wand…_

Even so, she smiled at the feeling the wand had given her and swished the wand, which immediately sparked red and gold. Ollivander studied her and frowned as she let out a deep sigh of relief. The wand had indeed chosen her.

"Interesting," he muttered.

"What is?" Hermione asked hesitantly while giving the wand back to him to be wrapped in a box.

He eyed her with an unreadable expression. "This is a ten and one-quarter inch, Blackthorn wand with a Phoenix feather core. A very unusual wand wood with a very rare core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though the wands are always the hardest to tame and to personalise. Blackthorn wood is being best suited for a warrior." He said while studying her closely.

"Oh…" Was all Hermione managed to say. She handed him the money for the wand and left the shop quickly, feeling a bit confused.

Somehow she had ended up with a totally different wand she used to have. Hermione wondered if the wand truly did reflect her intentions and needs. The thought made her feel like she already was letting her previous life go. She shook the melancholy thoughts from her head as she approached the Leaky Cauldron again and ordered a couple of sandwiches for an early dinner.

* * *

Once she was finished, Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade and made her way towards the Hog's Head. She was nervous to meet Aberforth. _Her new father_. Even the mere thought sounded ridiculous in her head. She didn't quite know what to expect as she entered the empty pub, finding an old, grumpy looking man behind the bar, staring at her suspiciously.

"Um…Hello." Hermione greeted awkwardly. "I'm Hermione."

Aberforth stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "Hello." He grunted. "Let's go upstairs." He said and after flicking his wand to the front door of the pub, he turned to walk through another door that led upstairs, expecting her to follow him.

Hermione did, and as she stepped into what seemed to be the sitting room, Aberforth gestured for her to sit in one of the armchairs near the fireplace, while he sat in the one opposite to her. She took a deep breath and sat down.

"So…um…" She mumbled, when Aberforth interrupted her.

"Tea?" He asked, and Hermione nodded. He summoned a tray with two cups and a teapot, and as he filled both cups, Hermione glanced around the room. It wasn't very large; a seating area in front of the fire, a couple of bookshelves against one wall, and a writing desk against the other. There were also two doors in the corner, one opposite to the one they had entered from downstairs and another on the wall next to it. Aberforth cleared his throat and offered her a cup. Hermione took it and thanked him, chewing the inside of her cheek as she wondered what she should say to him.

"So. My brother informs me you are in need of a new home?" He asked, staring at her with a blank look in his blue eyes. As she looked at him, she could see the resemblance between the brothers. But something still bothered her. She had thought that Albus and Aberforth didn't get along very well, as Dumbledore had never mentioned his brother, and well, based on what she had read from Skeeter's book, _the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_ she had sneaked from Bathilda's home in Godric's Hollow.

 _Why would Aberforth take in a stranger, just because his brother had suggested so?_

Hermione cleared her throat. "I don't really want to be a burden to anyone, Mr. Dumbledore."

Aberforth grimaced at the name. "You're not. Although, I'm not going to lie to you…What my brother told me about you, and asked me to do was a bit…mental, even for him." He grunted, taking a sip from his cup.

Her brows lifted in surprise. "Sir? He told you about me? About my…"

"Circumstances? Yeah, he did." Aberforth said, eyeing her suspiciously.

"…But?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Aberforth sighed. "It's a pretty damn much to ask for someone to believe…" He muttered.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I know. And, well, I don't really know you, since this is the first time I've met you, but…There are some things I know about you…" She said carefully, eyeing his expression.

He merely arched a brow at her. _He really didn't make this easy on her…_

Hermione sighed. "I… I know about Ariana. About the attack and what happened to her after. About Grindelwald," She whispered. She had read about the duel between the brothers and Grindelwald from _the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_. Although, with Rita Skeeter writing it, you could never trust what was printed, but Hermione and Harry had assumed that at least some of it had to be correct, since Skeeter had obviously manipulated the information from Bathilda, who had been quite close to the Dumbledore family.

Aberforth stared at her with a blank look. After a short silence he spoke. "I suppose my brother was telling the truth." He said quietly. Hermione could see the pain and loss flashing in his eyes. "So you're going to save us all then?" He asked with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Hermione frowned, not really sure how to reply to him.

"I trust my brother has planned a great many things for you to accomplish. He's always enjoyed scheming things, using people as his pawns to reach his goals," He said simply. Hermione's brows lifted in surprise. She was a bit taken aback from how harshly he talked about his own brother. The Headmaster.

"Perhaps you need someone you can trust when all that becomes too much." He muttered, more to himself than her.

"Um…" She was at a loss for words again. "Thank you Mr. Dumbledore." She muttered.

He suddenly smirked. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," He said, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "And seeing as you are going to be my… _daughter_ – " He cringed a bit at the word, "I reckon we ought to be honest with each other, right?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, of course, sir. And I just wanted to say that I'm okay with the option that we merely tell everyone we are related, and not make it official," She said with certainty.

He shook his head. "Don't bother to argue, I've already discussed this with Albus, and it's one of the rare occasions I agree with him. It would come to daylight sooner or later if someone wanted to check on it," He said simply.

"Oh. Well, thank you again. And it would be an honour to be part of your family, and to be your daughter, sir." She said politely.

He gave her a wry smile. "As long as you'll start calling me Ab or...even... _dad_ , so I can stop glancing over my shoulder and looking for my brother every time you say 'sir' or 'Mr. Dumbledore'."

Hermione felt her cheeks colour slightly. "Yes, of course...Ab."

Ab nodded at her. "I'll show you to your room, then. It is getting late. Have you eaten?" He asked as he stood up and vanished the tea tray and cups away.

"Oh, yes, I have actually. I had a bite in London after I was done with purchasing what I need for school." She smiled politely.

"Then let's head up."

They went another set of stairs up from the door in the corner, ascending to the third floor of the pub, where there were three doors in a narrow hallway. "The room in the right is mine, middle one is the bathroom, room in the left is yours." He muttered, pointing the rooms. "I'll leave you to it then. Gotta finish with the pub downstairs."

"Thanks. Good night," Hermione said a bit awkwardly.

"Night." Aberforth replied, making his way down the stairs.

When Hermione entered her room, she was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a shabby space, like she had expected for some reason. Although the pub in the downstairs was in a bit of decaying condition, neither the sitting room downstairs nor her room or the bathroom were even close to that. Her room had dark blue walls with white curtains and bed textiles in a rather large four poster bed in the other end of the room, and a massive white cosy rug in the middle of the room against the dark wooden floors. On the other side there was a closet for her clothes and next to it a writing desk with a comfortable looking chair. The room was completed with a decent sized window in front of the bureau, with a view to the garden. The overall look in the room was calm and collected, soothing her swirling mind instantly.

She had been thinking about her time in this era and the people she already knew, people who didn't know her, all day long. It was overwhelming to think that she was supposed to act like she hadn't already studied in Hogwarts. It had been her home the last six years.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and lay down on her bed, closing her eyes. She wondered what Hogwarts would be like without Harry and Ron, and everyone else she knew who hadn't even born yet. She remembered how it had felt when she had started Hogwarts, before she had befriended Harry and Ron. It had been the loneliest months in her life. After the Troll, the trio had been inseparable. It had always been the three of them. Of course they had had their fair share of disagreements and silent treatment during the years of their friendship, but they had still worked them out. Thinking of her fiends made her heart ache painfully. She felt so alone.

What if she wouldn't make any friends this time? _Would she even be here that long that it mattered?_

She felt quite saddened by the thoughts in her head, and tried to think of something else.

Hermione knew Sirius and Remus would be in Hogwarts, as well as Harry's parents. What was she going to do with them? She knew too much about them…Would she just pretend she didn't know of Remus's affliction? Would she outright tell him she had figured it out, perhaps a bit more considerately than she had the last time, when she had yelled it to his face in the Shrieking Shack?

She heaved a sigh and went to do her nightly routine. She had more than enough time to think about the rest of it before she actually had to meet everyone. Now she would focus on planning to destroy Voldemort and his Horcruxes with Dumbledore, as well as trying to find her way back home. _Home…_ She cried a good while and felt utterly miserable before she eventually fell asleep.

* * *

 **August 2nd, 1977 (Tuesday)**

Hermione woke up early, tired after a night of tossing and turning in her new bed. If only she could stop herself thinking everyone she missed and everything she had to accomplish for a moment...

She went downstairs for breakfast and found Aberforth sitting at the table, a cup of tea in one hand and the morning paper in the other.

"Um…Good morning," Hermione said awkwardly.

Aberforth grunted a reply and gestured to the counter. "Didn't know what you are used to so I made up a bit of everything," He muttered, and Hermione followed his gaze.

"Oh. Wow." She said quietly and took in the full breakfast on the counter including tea, orange juice, cereals, fresh fruits, bacon and eggs, sausages, grilled tomato, mushrooms, potato scones, toast and marmalade.

Hermione could see Ab's mouth curve a bit when Hermione's stomach rumbled loudly. She made herself busy with filling her plate and pouring herself a cup of tea and eventually sat down opposite to him.

"So...Ready to be a part of the infamous Dumbledore clan?" Aberforth asked as he took a sip from his tea and eyed her curiously as she shovelled in her breakfast with haste. "We have time in our hands," he added with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Hermione blushed and swallowed. "I apologise," she muttered and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm afraid my manners might have disappeared after a half a year spent in the woods and a couple of months of starvation," she said quietly, feeling ashamed.

Aberforth frowned but then waved his hand in dismissal. "Not to worry," he said kindly. "You've been in the Ministry before?"

Hermione nearly inhaled her orange juice in the wrong pipe. Coughing, she smiled. "You could say so..." The last time she had been in the Ministry, was when Harry, Hermione and Ron had Polyjuiced themselves into Ministry workers and stolen the locket from Umbridge.

They chatted a bit about the day ahead during their breakfast, and after finishing and freshening up, they Apparated to the Ministry to sort out her situation.

It took a large part of the day to establish her as a citizen of the Wizarding community in Britain and a scion to the House Dumbledore. They filled many forms, and explained her story to a handful of clerks before the Ministry Officials finally let them go. Hermione had kept her first and middle name, and changed only her last name. She was Hermione Jean Dumbledore now. It sounded so unreal. Hermione wondered what would Harry and Ron say about her new last name...She could almost hear their comments in her head. Almost.

Aberforth had been eager to go back to take care the pub, which really didn't have a busy time, but Hermione reckoned he did like it there better than anywhere else. After they'd eaten lunch, he showed her the rest of the pub and their quarters, along with the little garden in the backyard.

"I would love to help you around the pub, if you are in need of extra hands?" Hermione asked when they were coming back from the gardens. She had thought about it a bit after Dumbledore had informed her that she was to be adopted by his brother; that she wanted to contribute somehow, and not merely take an advantage of someone's money and hospitality.

Aberforth hummed. "Yeah, sure. You can help me out during lunch, but I want you to focus on your studies when you start at Hogwarts, okay?"

Hermione nodded and gave him a smile. "Okay."

* * *

When she retired to her bedroom later that evening, Hermione noticed a barn owl standing on the edge of her table with a parchment tied to its leg. The window was open so Hermione reckoned it must've flown through it. She took the parchment and summoned some owl treats from her beaded bag to the owl before it flew away. She sat down at her desk and opened the letter.

It was from Dumbledore.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _I would like to start our private lessons this Wednesday, as we discussed earlier._

 _Kindly come along to my office after lunch, at 1 p.m. I hope you have settled in nicely in your new home._

 _Yours sincerely, Albus Dumbledore_

 _P.S. I enjoy Chocolate Frogs_

Hermione let out a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. Where to start? She had to write it down for the next day when she was meeting the Headmaster. She contemplated the information in her head for a while, forming lists already in her mind before she decided to start writing a list of Horcruxes and their known and possible locations. She took a brand new quill, ink pot and a parchment she had acquired from Diagon Alley the day before, and began writing.

She wrote down the 5 created Horcruxes and their locations, at least those she knew of, and when they were created. The Diary; created when Voldemort had still been in school, by the murder of Myrtle Warren, using a Basilisk. The Ring; created during Voldemort's last years in school, by the murder of his own father. The Locket and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup; created after Voldemort's schoolyears by the murder of Hepzibah Smith and an unknown muggle. And finally; the last Horcrux, an unknown object.

Hermione knew the Ring was situated in the Gaunt Shack, and that the Locket was situated in the cave by the sea. She assumed the Diary was in the possession of Lucius Malfoy, and suspected that Bellatrix Lestrange had also one Horcrux in safekeeping. But what was it? She wrote every single detail she knew and guessed into her list regarding the Horcruxes, as well as the ways to destroy them.

She took another parchment where she listed the Death Eaters in her time and those she knew of from this time. To the third parchment she listed all the casualties she knew of, and when they had occurred. In the final piece of parchment Hermione wrote down everything needed to be accomplished – aside from finding and destroying the Horcruxes of course.

Hermione made a note about the importance of joining the Order, and researching time magic, possibly an alternate timeline. Those were mainly a reminder for her. The list continued with researching potions causing hallucinations and mental pain before acquiring the locket, a reminder about the Prophecy, the Chamber of Secrets, as well as the importance of certain Death Eaters who played a bigger role in the war. Regulus Black, who was possibly a key to some of the Horcruxes, and Peter Pettigrew and Severus Snape whom both were to be kept from joining the Death Eaters if possible.

Pleased with her written accomplishments, she put her things to the desk drawer and the parchments to an envelope which she stowed into her beaded bag. She carried the bag with her everywhere, not wanting to part with it after having it attached to her hip for almost a year. It held every essential book and item she could think of needing, including Harry's Marauder's map, which would probably be handy when she was going to be in Hogwarts again as well as his Invisibility cloak, which she reckoned she could use when heading to the nearly impossible task she was determined to take. Needless to say, the bag also held all the memories from her previous life she wanted to cherish and keep safe.

Her night went with the same pattern as the night before. Missing her friends and her loved ones.


	4. Recollection

**A/N:** I would love to hear your thoughts on the story. So please, leave a review! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 04: Recollection**

 **August 3rd 1977 (Wednesday)**

It was a warm summer day again and Hermione spent her morning helping Aberforth at the pub, and taking a long lunch break in the back garden of the Hog's Head. It was a decent sized, wildflower garden with a small patch of trees in the end and a metal antique garden bench perched beneath the trees.

After lunch she walked the familiar path towards the school and flashes of memories of her past Hogsmeade trips flooded her mind. She recalled many memories of her best friends and herself throughout their years in Hogwarts and felt utterly alone when everywhere she set her eyes on reminded her of Harry and Ron.

She tried to push the thoughts away from her mind, to think of something else. Perhaps Dumbledore had figured out a solution, where she could return to her old life. Even if there was the possibility of ageing twenty years upon her arrival back to the future, she still considered it as an option. _But what if she changed things in this time? Would anyone know her anymore if she returned to the future after changing the past?_

Perhaps Dumbledore would have some answers. As she walked, she mentally went through the lists she had made the previous night and decided to start with the most important – the Horcruxes. When she reached the gates, she smiled up as Hagrid approached her.

"Hi there! Yeh mus' be ol' Ab's daugh'er?" Hagrid asked as he opened the gates to her.

Hermione gave him a warm smile and walked through the gates. She hadn't yet seen him in this time, and the sight of him really made her cheerful. "Yes, and you must be Hagrid?" She replied cordially.

Hagrid nodded. "Yep. Goin' ter see Dumbledore, aren' yeh?" He asked with a grin.

Hermione nodded and smiled back to him. "Yes, I am meeting the Headmaster at one o'clock. It's nice to meet you, Hagrid. I'm Hermione, by the way." she said and held her hand for him to shake.

He took her hand, and gave it a surprisingly gentle shake. "Yeh, too, Hermione. Come ter see me after yeh are done, if yeh have the time? I've go' somethin' fer Ab if yeh could take it back ter 'im?" He asked while they started to walk towards the castle. "Been thinkin' of bakin' today..."

Hermione smiled, remembering the first time she had had tea with him and when she had tasted his cooking. She chuckled inwardly to the memory when she had nearly cracked her teeth into his rock cakes – not to mention the time when she had actually found a large talon in the midst of his beef casserole. She reminded herself to stick to tea only when she replied to him, "I would love to."

"Great! See yeh then," he said and turned towards his hut.

Her stomach clenched with longing as she thought of all the times she and her friends had visited Hagrid. She saw the Quidditch Pitch and wondered if she would ever see her friends fly again. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Even though all the memories were making her sad, she could not help to feel like she was coming home as she approached the castle.

Hermione felt calm settle inside her when she walked through the front doors and made her way to the Headmaster's office. As she came to stand in front of the familiar gargoyle, she was about to utter the password when she was interrupted.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Someone said behind her, a woman with a firm voice. "Are you on your way to meet the Headmaster?"

Hermione turned quickly around when she recognised the voice and was slightly taken aback by the familiar, albeit much younger, face. Minerva McGonagall. She watched her former Head of House nervously, feeling out of breath.

"Oh… Yes ma'am," Hermione said hesitantly. It was slightly unnerving, meeting McGonagall like this, when the older witch didn't have a clue of who she was. Hermione respected the woman highly, perhaps because she treated everyone with the same no-nonsense manner, and because she was the one who originally introduced Hermione to the Wizarding world. She was the one who had brought Hermione to Diagon Alley to get her school things and been there for her all the years since. No, McGonagall didn't quite favour her but Hermione liked to think that the witch respected her desire to learn and acquire information.

"You are Hermione?" McGonagall asked, eyeing her closely.

Hermione nodded. She knew the other witch hadn't recognised her, so she assumed Dumbledore had said something to her. "Yes. You know about me?"

McGonagall surveyed her for a moment before she answered. "Yes, I do. Albus filled me in about your circumstances and where you came from, and asked me to join the meeting. Shall we?"

Hermione nodded again and McGonagall turned to the gargoyle, "Chocolate Frogs." She stated and the gargoyle moved.

As the stairs moved up, McGonagall eyed her carefully, "I presume there is no need for introduction on my part?"

Hermione smiled politely before she replied, "No, I know who you are, ma'am. You were actually my Head of House when I attended Hogwarts." She looked at the older woman with a sad smile and McGonagall gave her a mixed look of surprise and delight.

As they entered the office, Dumbledore stood from his desk to greet them, beaming at them.

"Good afternoon, ladies." He said with a bright smile. "I believe an introduction is in order?" He asked as he surveyed the women.

"No need for that Albus, we already talked briefly." McGonagall said, waving her hand while Hermione nodded.

Dumbledore seemed satisfied and gestured for them to sit in the two plush armchairs in front of his desk, while he rounded his desk and took his own seat again. Dumbledore smiled at Hermione before he spoke, "I trust everything is in good order with your father?"

It took a moment for her to realise that he was speaking of Aberforth. "Oh…Yes, everything is great, thank you sir." She gave an awkward smile. Dumbledore chuckled and nodded to her. McGonagall rolled her eyes with mild exasperation and waited for the small talk to subside. Dumbledore crossed his fingers on the desk and his expression became more solemn.

"I believe we have certain matters to discuss. Isn't that right, Hermione?"

Hermione tensed a bit and she pulled out the envelope that contained her lists from her beaded bag and took the first parchment from the envelope.

"I have made a couple of lists and I think we could begin with the Horcruxes?"

McGonagall gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, her fingers trembling. "Merlin's beard…Horcruxes? That horrid man has made Horcruxes? …More than one?" She asked anxiously, her voice rising.

Hermione gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded. "I'm afraid so. In my time we believed he had made six of them, dividing his soul into seven pieces for ensuring he would never die. We learned that he thought that seven, being a powerful magical number, would enhance the effectiveness. At the moment, I believe he has made five."

Hermione turned to Dumbledore and spoke, "The information I have, is based on your own research mainly, which you shared with my friend Harry and later on he shared it with me and another friend. The past year, when the three of us were on the run and hunting the Horcruxes, we as well acquired some information ourselves."

Dumbledore and McGonagall both frowned at her but didn't interrupt. She wondered if they were going to ask her why Dumbledore would let three teenagers to undertake that kind of a task alone. Sometimes when she felt bitter, she too tried to find a reason for it. She shook the thought from her mind and continued.

"So as I was saying, he has probably created five Horcruxes and will attempt to create the sixth in a few years," Hermione said and handed all four lists to Dumbledore. He made two copies of the stack by flicking his wand and handed McGonagall half of the copies and the originals back to Hermione.

"I'm not certain of the order in which the Horcruxes were created and when, except the first ones. So…the first was his personal Diary, which he wrote in when he was still a student here."

McGonagall gaped at her. Dumbledore lifted his eyes from the parchment to look at Hermione with his eyes widened in surprise. "This means that Hagrid was indeed innocent. Based on this, I'm able to start the process of clearing his name."

Hermione smiled. "Yes, he is. Voldemort – or Tom Riddle then – framed Hagrid so the school would be kept from closing, so that he wouldn't end up back to the orphanage. Although Hagrid did have a pet Acromantula in his dorm when he was in school, it didn't harm anyone." She said, smiling at Hagrid's fondness towards the dangerous beasts.

Dumbledore hummed and scribbled a note to his parchment.

"So he killed Myrtle Warren? With a Basilisk? Do they even exist? Surely someone would have noticed a giant snake slithering through the corridors…" McGonagall said and eyed her incredulously after reading the list.

Hermione gave a grim smile to her as she reminisced her second year, when she had indeed figured it out and had been petrified soon after it. She had been in the hospital wing the whole time while Harry had slayed the beast after facing Voldemort's fragment of soul.

"Well…" She took a deep breath. "The Basilisk indeed exists. It travelled through the pipes inside the school walls. And… the legend of Salazar Slytherin building a hidden chamber in the castle is quite true. The Chamber of Secrets, as I came to know it, is under the dungeons. Its entrance is in the girls' bathroom where Moaning Myrtle resides, and the Basilisk lives in the chamber. The entrance can be opened by speaking Parseltongue." She explained quickly, while Dumbledore and McGonagall stared at her, terrified.

"The first time Voldemort himself opened it, him being a descendant and the heir of Slytherin, and a Parselmouth. The second time he opened it, he possessed a first year girl with the help of his Horcrux Diary, that was placed to her things without her knowledge." She frowned as she remembered the details. _Ginny..._

"The girl was nearly killed. Voldemort's soul drew energy from her and if Harry hadn't killed the Basilisk and destroyed the Diary, the girl would have died for sure." Hermione said gravely.

"Good Godrick…He killed a Basilisk…" McGonagall whispered. Dumbledore too seemed to be shaken up by the news regarding the legend of the Chamber of Secrets to be true.

"Who is Harry?" He asked her after a moment of silence. "You have mentioned him a couple of times and I have a feeling he plays a crucial part in all of this?" Dumbledore said and eyed her over his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione had anticipated that he would ask about Harry on some point. But now wasn't the time to explain about him, not yet. "I'll get to that later," She said weakly and Dumbledore nodded.

"The Diary is likely in the possession of Lucius Malfoy, possibly in Malfoy Manor. Lucius was the one who originally put the Diary in the midst of my friend's belongings. Although it was in 1992, I trust he is one of Voldemort's followers already." Again both Professors frowned at the information.

"Lucius Malfoy…the school governor?" McGonagall asked in shock. Hermione nodded.

"We'll get to the Death Eaters later too." She said grimly and her former Head of House nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. Dumbledore stared at Hermione expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"The second Horcrux Voldemort made was a family heirloom, which he stole from his uncle, Morfin Gaunt. In a nutshell, Voldemort researched about his parents when he was in school, and he found out that his mother, Merope Gaunt, was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Merope had developed an obsessive love for a local muggle, named Tom Riddle. She poisoned him with love potion and had him marry her, getting her pregnant. She lifted the potion sometime after that and Tom abandoned his pregnant wife. She later died after giving birth to her son, Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was raised in an orphanage, as I believe you both know." Hermione explained and both Professors nodded uneasily.

"When he found out that his father was a mere muggle who abandoned his mother, he went to kill his paternal family. At that time both Merope's father Marvolo and Merope had already died, and the only living Gaunt was Voldemort's uncle, Morfin, who lived nearby the Riddle house. After having murdered his paternal family, he then altered Morfin's memory so that Morfin believed he was the murderer and that he was proud of it. Morfin was sentenced to Azkaban and he died there later. Voldemort stole the Gaunt Ring from Morfin and created his second Horcrux possibly during his seventh year or right after graduating. He did it after he had inquired about the possibility of making multiple Horcruxes from Professor Slughorn." She concluded.

"Horace?" Dumbledore and McGonagall both uttered quietly and stared her with confusion.

"Yes. He didn't know it at the time, of course. Professor Slughorn was just smitten with his charm and his cleverness. Voldemort asked him about Horcruxes and assured Professor Slughorn that it was only for his academic knowledge, nothing else. Later on, when Professor Slughorn realised what he had done, he left the school and went into hiding, hoping that neither you," she nodded to Dumbledore, "nor Voldemort would find him." She said simply.

McGonagall shook her head and muttered, "Sounds like Horace to me." Dumbledore's mouth quirked up a bit and both Professors turned to listen to Hermione again.

"Voldemort hid the ring in Little Hangleton, to the Gaunt shack. I believe the place is protected with some charms or curses, and the ring itself is cursed. The wearer will die from it." She eyed Dumbledore for a moment before she continued.

"The next ones are Salazar Slytherin's Locket and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. They were created by the murder of a witch named Hepzibah Smith and an unknown muggle," Hermione explained.

Both Professors were staring at her in bewilderment, perhaps because Voldemort had managed to gather such unique items.

"The Locket is hidden in a cave where Voldemort visited when on a trip with his orphanage. He placed Inferi to protect the Horcrux, along with a poison that must be drank to obtain the Locket from a basin. I believe the Locket is already situated there, but Voldemort will test the defences somewhere between 1978 and 1979, so it should be left untouched for now, until we know for sure."

"And how do we know the right time? Through…Regulus Black?" Dumbledore asked, lifting his eyes from the parchments that he had laid on his desk.

Hermione nodded. "I don't really know that much about him since he died sometime before or after my birth. He was a Death Eater, but he defected and wanted to destroy Voldemort and the locket. Voldemort used the Black house elf Kreacher to test the defences and left the elf to die in the cave. Voldemort made a mistake by underestimating the house elf magic, because Kreacher was able to apparate back to his master Regulus and he told Regulus where to find the Horcrux."

"Inferi…Circe! McGonagall exclaimed. "How are you so calm after taking part on all of this?" She asked and studied Hermione in what to Hermione seemed like astonishment. Hermione shrugged awkwardly.

"Indeed you must be an exceptionally intelligent and powerful witch to endure all of that, and be willing to do it again." Dumbledore smiled at her sincerely, making her duck her head bashfully. She cleared her throat and continued going through the list.

"So then there's Helga Hufflepuff's cup. It was created at the same time as the Locket. I don't know for certain where the cup is hidden, but before I came here, I was…" She frowned and let out a shaky breath. She really didn't want to go back to reminisce of Malfoy Manor and Bellatrix's torture, along with Greyback's attempted assault. She shuddered at the memory, when she remembered how he had touched her with his filthy tongue and mouth, and breathed his nasty breath to her face.

"Hermione…You don't have to tell all the details if that is too much for you, dear," Dumbledore said to her softly, concern edged in his blue eyes.

"No, I...I was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. She um…suspected we had stolen something from her vault in Gringotts. She was quite adamant to find out whether we had been there. And she seemed quite scared too. So I figured that she might have had a Horcrux in there. In my time she was a loyal servant and if Voldemort did leave his Diary to the care of Malfoys, who's to say that he didn't trust his other followers as well to guard his secrets." Hermione said and glanced at McGonagall who regarded her with a troubled look. She reached to pat Hermione's hand. Hermione forced a small smile on her lips.

Dumbledore eyed her concernedly. "Do you reckon his followers know that the objects are indeed Horcruxes?" He asked thoughtfully.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so. Otherwise Mr. Malfoy probably wouldn't have parted with the Diary." She said and Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"The fifth one is an unknown object. This too could be one that might be in possession of Bellatrix Lestrange. In my time, you suspected that Voldemort was trying to make his sixth Horcrux by murdering Harry, which I'll tell you more about in a moment, but he didn't succeed and was defeated instead." She said with a frown and looked at Dumbledore.

"He was not dead of course, because he still had his five Horcruxes he had made earlier. It took him thirteen years to make his sixth Horcrux, a snake he called Nagini, by murdering a witch named Bertha Jorkins. A year or so after that, he obtained a human form again and the Wizarding War Two was in a full swing." Hermione said and sighed when she thought back to the last couple of years of her live. And now she had travelled to a time where the first war was just starting. _When was it going to end for her? Would she even survive it?_ She hoped this time it would be different, and that she wouldn't be in the middle of the war like she had been earlier.

Dumbledore hummed while reading the parchment. "I see you have already researched some options how to destroy them. I don't think we need to find any other methods, since we already have the necessary means to destroy the Horcruxes." He said while glancing at Hermione.

"But sir… There is no guarantee we can enter to the Chamber of Secrets, and I believe it is our only option, since it would be highly risky to even try to use Fiendfyre." Hermione argued. McGonagall gave her a small smile.

"Hermione, I believe Albus here can perform the curse. Isn't that right?" McGonagall said furtively and watched Dumbledore's reaction.

"As always, you know me better than anyone, Minerva. Indeed I do know of the incantation and how to put it off, but even I have to admit that I am not perfect. Maintaining the curse is the hardest part, for it could easily go out of control and be fatal to anyone near it." He smiled to the women.

"Oh." Hermione muttered.

"However, I would like to teach you. Both of you. That way, when one of us actually casts the curse, we can assist one another if there seems to be any disorder." He said plainly.

Both women stared at the Headmaster in disbelief.

"Well, I believe it is settled then. We'll come back to that later." He clapped his hands together and beamed at Hermione and McGonagall while both of them stayed silent.

"So…the next list is some other mentionable things I thought you should know of." Hermione said, talking about the list of which she had originally written to herself, but decided to share with them. When Dumbledore and McGonagall read the first line of the list, they both chuckled a bit.

"I think you can join the Order, but, with some conditions." Dumbledore eyed her carefully. "I would like for you to finish your education, and not attend the meetings. At least, not yet. The less you are involved, the safer you are. After all, if the wrong ears hear about the information you have, it could be dangerous for you." He explained and Hermione nodded. She briefly thought that learning Occlumency would be beneficial, as she had merely grazed the subject before. She made a mental note to ask Dumbledore about it later, if he would be willing to teach her.

"I suppose it is reasonable." Hermione replied, though, feeling a bit disappointed.

Dumbledore gave her a small smile and said, "I will keep you informed about what is discussed in the meetings though."

"To your next note, I haven't got any new information to your situation. However, I recommend you to live your life until we know more about your circumstances. I will notify you immediately if I receive any new information," he said simply. Hermione frowned and was about to argue, but stayed silent and nodded at him. It wasn't that she was just going to let it be and not research her situation on her own as well. She reckoned the Hogwarts library ought to have at least _some_ information about Time Magic.

"Are you going to take NEWT Potions in your seventh year, Hermione?" Dumbledore inquired as he went on with the list.

"Yes, of course." She answered without reserve, as there could even be another option.

"I suggest that you research the potions causing hallucinations and mental pain in our potions lab, before the school starts? It is fairly quiet now down in the dungeons, and you have all the space you need. I understand that you have agreed to help your father at the pub, so maybe you could settle it with him?" He asked kindly and Hermione smiled and nodded eagerly. She couldn't wait to get to actually do something useful, as well as the possibility to brew potions in the lab, all by herself.

She cleared her throat again and spoke, "I think we could focus first on the prophecy, and then go through the rest of the list, if that's okay?" She asked nervously.

Both Professors nodded and Hermione thought for a moment of how she was to start with explaining the prophecy. She exhaled a long breath.

"Well… late in 1979 or early in 1980 a witch named Sybill Trelawney came to a job interview at the Hog's Head for the Divination Professor's position. In the middle of the interview, she went into a trance and made a prophecy, about the coming of a boy who would have the power to vanquish Lord Voldemort. The prophecy specified that the boy would be born in the closing days of July 1980 and that the boy's parents had defied Voldemort three times and lived to tell about it. According to the prophecy, the boy would have a power that Voldemort would be unable or unwilling to comprehend, and if more than one person was born that met the requirements, Voldemort himself would choose to whom it would ultimately refer. The boy he chose was Harry Potter." She said, looking down with a deep frown between her brows.

McGonagall gasped and Dumbledore lifted his brows.

"James Potter's son?" McGonagall asked carefully.

"Yes. He is…was… my best friend." Hermione smiled sadly, blinking her eyes rapidly to stop the tears that threatened to come.

McGonagall gave her a supporting smile and waited for her to continue.

"Severus Snape, who was a Death Eater at the time, eavesdropped the interview and returned to his master to tell him what he had heard. That way Voldemort found out about the prophecy. Voldemort tried to kill Harry when he was a baby, in October 31st, 1981. He killed Harry's parents and shot a killing curse at Harry, but for Harry's mother's sacrifice, the curse backfired upon him, destroying his physical form."

She looked at the Professors for a moment, who both were staring at her with a bit shocked expressions again, before she continued. "But before Voldemort went to the Potters, they were placed under a Fidelius charm after Snape had realised his mistake and defected. He told everything to you." She said, looking at the Headmaster searchingly.

"You once said that you had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape, allowing him to join the Order after he had leaked the prophecy to Voldemort and caused the death of Potters. And in the end, when Voldemort came back to power, Snape was the one who…" Hermione's voice faltered. "H-he killed you, sir." She said stammering, tears burning in her eyes as she recalled the night it had happened. She clenched her jaw and tried to swallow the lump from her throat.

McGonagall gaped at her from the news, all colour drained from her face. Hermione heard her muttering something like "Merlin," while Dumbledore merely looked interested.

"How did Voldemort succeed if the Potters were placed under a Fidelius Charm? I presume the charm was broken?" He asked, adjusting his half-moon spectacles.

"But Professor…" Hermione said, baffled that he had just received the information about his death and wasn't more interested of the circumstances.

"No, Hermione. Let's move on from it. We now know a great deal more thanks to you, but it does no one good to dwell on the bad things. Let us focus on the things we know we can change."

Hermione felt annoyed but continued nevertheless. "The Potters had agreed to make Sirius Black their secret keeper, but they changed it to Peter Pettigrew in the last minute, not telling anyone about it. Peter ultimately betrayed them to Voldemort and then he escaped, killing a bunch of muggles on his way. Sirius was framed for killing the muggles and sent to Azkaban without a trial. Even Remus Lupin hadn't known about the switch."

Dumbledore scrutinised her. "You were familiar with Black and Lupin?"

"Oh…Yes, I was. Remus was actually a Defence Professor in my third year and Sirius, after he'd escaped from Azkaban and his reputation was cleared within the Order, became closer to his godson, Harry, and eventually got to know his friends as well. They were both loyal members of the Order." Hermione explained.

Both professors seemed to be busy with their own thoughts. Hermione moved to the next topic on her list and spoke, "Then there is Regulus Black. He was a Death Eater who defected quickly after his initiation and died trying to destroy a Horcrux. I think we should try to persuade him to our side, as soon as possible. He might be a key to several Horcruxes, as he is probably closer to the Lestranges and Malfoys than his brother Sirius is at the moment," Hermione said and McGonagall's mouth twisted up a bit and she nodded.

"You are probably right, at least in school he seems to be surrounded only by his fellow Slytherins, not even bothering to talk to the students from other houses. But how do you know he is willing to defect?" McGonagall asked Hermione, looking a bit suspicious.

"Well, I don't, but at least we have to try. And he has to have some doubts, if he is going to make the decision anyway in a couple of years." Hermione replied thoughtfully.

Dumbledore crossed his fingers again on top of his desk. "Hermione, if it isn't too much for you, would you be willing to try to persuade him?" He asked, eyeing her thoughtfully.

"Yes, of course. I'll try," She nodded resolutely, feeling slightly anxious.

"Do you want to discuss about the deaths you listed?" He asked kindly.

"No, not really. I mean, I don't have any other information about them than what I already wrote on that parchment." She said, her brows creased slightly.

"Then I will keep this information in mind when organising our missions."

Hermione nodded and they moved on to the final list, about the Death Eaters in this time and in the future. They went over the list, and a couple of names came up that surprised the Professors. They focused mainly on them – Augustus Rookwood, an Unspeakable at the Ministry who was working as a spy for Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jr., whose father was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – and decided that Dumbledore would inform the Order regarding them.

"What should be done about the Horcruxes? Or the Death Eaters?" McGonagall asked tiredly, their meeting taking longer than any of them expected.

Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully and after a moment he spoke, "I suggest that we will meet again on the last days of this month, to continue our plans regarding the Horcruxes and what we will decide regarding the Death Eaters. You have shared us much, Hermione, and I think we all need to digest this information a bit. Minerva here is leaving shortly for her summer holidays, and I myself have some other issues to take care of before the school starts. Would you agree to this?" He said, surveying Hermione over his half-moon spectacles.

"Yes, of course. I think there is no immediate need to rush into this, at least not yet, since we have the information of all but one Horcrux." Hermione said in agreement.

* * *

When she finally arrived to Hagrid's Hut, it was close to dinner time. Hagrid told her about his summer and about a couple of unicorns he had met in the Forest. It reminded her of her fourth year when Hagrid had brought two unicorn foals to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson, surprising most of his students with his knowledge of the more adorable creatures than what they were usually seeing in the class. Hermione sighed deeply to the memory.

He also told her about a herd of Mooncalves he met one full moon he was wandering at the Forest, in order to harvest their dung for Professor Sprout to use for her magical plants. The creatures were basking in the moonlight on a hill, and performing what he reckoned was a mating ritual. Hermione smiled warmly as he mentioned bumping into a couple of Hippogriffs the other day, and wondered if their herd was somewhere deeper in the forest.

Hermione stayed at Hagrid's until it was nearly dark. She was in a much more cheerful mood after chatting with him, and reckoned it had been just what she needed.


	5. Reconnecting

**A/N:** Hermione meets yet another familiar face...Please take a moment to leave a review and let me know what you think!

* * *

 **Chapter 05: Reconnecting**

 **August 30th 1977 (Tuesday)**

Hermione was heading towards the infirmary from the dungeons. She had been practicing her brewing skills in the potions lab the whole morning and throughout lunchtime, eating only a couple of sandwiches while she worked, provided by the helpful house-elves of Hogwarts. She had made some blood replenishing and pain potions for Madam Pomfrey and was supposed to hand them to her, and then continue her way to the Headmaster's office where they would continue their discussion from earlier that month.

August had gone quickly, and Hermione had kept herself busy, not really having much time to stress over her situation. She had tried to form a plan for herself, by researching every possible book the Hogwarts library had on Time magic, to get herself back to where she belonged, but hadn't found any new information about the subject. Her days were spent between Hogwarts library, the Potions lab where she practiced simple potions as well as researched the poisons Voldemort had possibly used with the locket, and Hog's Head.

During the first days after her arrival she had been organising items in the pub, but when that was done, Ab had asked her to help him with the lunch rush – which was when the pub opened – so that he could take some time off in the mornings and daytime, and work only at nights. He had insisted her not being allowed to work at evenings, when the slightly shadier patrons often came by.

In the evenings Hermione usually spent her time at Hogwarts. She quickly noticed that it was quite soothing to work in the all quiet library or with the peacefully bubbling brews and she had made a habit of providing Madam Pomfrey some basic potions that were essential in her work at the infirmary. Pomfrey was of course delighted for the help, and even though her stock was quickly filled since she didn't really have any patients during the summer, she still took everything Hermione brought to her.

While she wasn't really making progress on her Time magic research, Hermione had actually found a couple of possible alternatives, what the poison that protected the locket in the cave could be, and had practiced brewing several antidotes for those as well. However, there was still a lot to be done there.

"Madam Pomfrey, I have the usual, where do you want them?" She called as she stepped into the empty ward. Or so she thought. Hermione stopped in her tracks when she noticed that someone occupied the last bed in the room. That someone was a boy and he was awake, sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard and watching her curiously.

"Oh, sorry I didn't..." She started apologising but then her voice died in her throat when she recognised exactly who it was, and dropped her potions on the floor. The large glass bottles landed with a crash, the liquids inside them flooding the floor and the noise alerting Madam Pomfrey to check on what the cause of disturbance was.

"What in the name of Merl...Oh, Hermione." Pomfrey called and as her eyes settled at Hermione, she gave her a tight smile and flicked her wand to clean the mess, the glass and potions vanishing in the air.

"No matter, dear. I had more than enough already." She said to Hermione consolingly, clearly thinking that her shocked expression was because of making a mess and wasting essential potions. The boy eyed the scene curiously.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Hermione said to Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly and turned to the boy. "I apologise if I caused a disturbance." She said and stared at the boy with amazement. He looked just like she imagined he would. _Remus_.

Perhaps she could have a piece of her old life back after all. A smile lifted her mouth and Remus gave her a tentative smile back, looking slightly uncomfortable under her stare.

"Er…No problem. Are you new here?" He answered while watching her warily.

As Madam Pomfrey returned to her office with a small smile tugging at her lips, Hermione approached the boy's bed.

"Well...Sort of, yes. I came back to Britain about a month ago." She explained while she tried to subtly scrutinise his looks. He was very handsome, with his dark brown eyes and soft shaggy brown hair.

With his handsome features aside, he looked utterly dreadful with his white skin and dark circles under his eyes. She could see a glimpse of scars on his neck and shoulders. _How could she forget about the full moon?_ _She always remembered those._

He shifted awkwardly in the bed under her curious eyes.

"So, um...you've lived here before? Are you one of the teaching staff?" Remus inquired, and Hermione had the feeling that he was trying to stop her examination on him and give her something else to think.

Hermione's eyes travelled back to his and she blinked a couple of times and thought about what she could say to him about her arrival.

"Um...My mum lived in Australia but my dad lives here, in Hogsmeade. I had to move back here when the circumstances changed..." She responded awkwardly. "And no...I'm not one of the staff." She gave him another small smile.

Remus was clearly a bit bothered because of her searching eyes and friendly behaviour, but he politely responded to her smile. "Okay. I'm Remus, by the way. Remus Lupin."

"Hermione Gr...Dumbledore. I'm pleased to meet you," she said quickly, cringing inwardly at her near slip and hoped he didn't notice it. She closed the distance to his bed and extended her arm to shake his hand.

He probably didn't notice her slip of tongue, as he was gaping at her, his eyes widening with shock. Remus stared at her outstretched hand for a moment until he closed his mouth, cleared his throat and shook her hand briefly.

"Wow...um...yeah. Nice to meet you, too." He stammered. "A Dumbledore?" He said with a surprise in his voice and threaded a hand through his messy hair.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Yes, I am. My dad is Aberforth though, not the Headmaster...just in case you were wondering."

Remus let out a nervous laugh and watched her hesitantly. "So, are you going to come to study at Hogwarts or are you just visiting here?" He asked while giving her a once over. Hermione tried not to flinch under his inspection.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to the seventh year in September," she replied, leaning against the edge of his bed. Hermione didn't miss the small flicker of panic crossing his eyes, as if she was far too close to him in his opinion. She wanted to give him the impression that she was quite at ease at his presence, and proximity, and that seemed to unnerve him a bit.

"You are a student here too?" She asked innocently, trying to keep her cover. "But why are you here already? Doesn't the term start in a couple of days?" She continued, trying to look confused.

Remus frowned, a contemplative look in his eyes before he replied to her. "Er...yeah I'm a student. Just starting my seventh year...my parents brought me here on their way to a trip last week, but then I got the flu so I came to the infirmary. It seems it's passed already though..." he explained lamely.

Hermione lifted a brow and Remus blushed slightly. Knowing the true reason for his visit to the hospital wing, she didn't question him further and nodded instead. Remus's eyes flashed with relief.

"So...D'you know what house you'll be in?" He asked, a hint of wariness still in his voice.

Hermione was only slightly surprised he was so cautious towards new people, and reckoned it was more to do with the timing than anything else. The Remus she remembered had always been observant and clever, and even though she didn't know every detail about the current situation in the upcoming Wizarding war, she knew enough from what Ab had told her.

"Well, I don't know, actually. The Headmaster – my uncle - insisted that I should be sorted with the first years. That way I'll certainly blend in, right?" she said and gave him a wry smile.

Remus laughed and inclined his head in agreement.

"But I should go now; I'm actually meeting him in a moment." Hermione continued and then hesitated as she eyed him carefully. "Maybe...we could meet before the school starts? I mean, if you aren't too busy?" She asked while standing up and giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

"We could spend some time outside or wherever you want to. And you could tell me the latest gossip going around here or something..." she continued, now with a hint of uncertainty.

He studied her for a moment and then gave her a small grin, this one more genuine and reminding her of the older Remus. "Yeah, sure. I have to stay here until tomorrow though, so...meet me here in the morning?" He asked, lifting his brows slightly.

Hermione's thoughts still lingered in the future - or her past, specifically in one evening they'd spent at Grimmauld, when Sirius had been alive, Harry had been happier and everything had been better. She felt a small pang of sadness course through her, which didn't go unnoticed. Remus frowned at her but didn't say anything. Hermione shook the thought from her head and cleared her throat.

"Okay...I'll see you tomorrow then." She gave him a one last smile which was a bit forced because of the emotional surge she had felt, before she exited the ward and walked towards the Headmaster's office.

* * *

As she opened the door to the Headmaster's office, after knocking and receiving a quiet "enter", she saw that McGonagall was already sitting in one of the plush armchairs in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Good afternoon, Hermione. How are you feeling today?" Dumbledore greeted Hermione, beaming at her from his chair. His expression quickly turned into a concerned one when he noticed the slight distress she had tried to suppress on her way there.

"Good afternoon, sir. Professor McGonagall." She greeted the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall who smiled and nodded back to her. "I'm okay, thank you. I just...met someone at the infirmary...someone I knew from before." She said, still feeling quite excited and sad at the same time.

The Headmaster nodded sympathetically.

"The young Remus Lupin, I presume? You are aware of his condition?" McGonagall inquired while watching Hermione with sharp eyes.

"Yes. Of course, I am." Hermione replied, feeling a bit affronted. "We agreed to spend some time together tomorrow, after he is discharged," she continued, trying to not sound as confused as she felt.

Dumbledore and McGonagall both nodded approvingly. "I think it would do well for you to spend some time with someone your own age. I understand you have been by yourself for most of the month?" He said while he eyed her with concern.

"Well, I have talked with some people at the pub so I haven't been completely isolated, if that's what you are afraid of..." She muttered defensively.

Dumbledore hummed in response, his blue eyes twinkling. "And have you found out anything of interest while working at the pub?"

"Well, not really…I only work in the early shift, so I assume there might be more interesting patrons and rumours during the evenings." She said and Dumbledore nodded to her.

"Shall we then continue where we left off?" Dumbledore said as he crossed his fingers on his table, not waiting for an answer as he continued, "Since we discussed the Horcruxes the last time, it would now be suitable to think of what is to be done with them."

Hermione and McGonagall both nodded in agreement.

"I suggest we leave the Locket, the Cup and the Diary for now, until we make progress on gaining the young Black on our side. If we do not succeed with him, we can think alternative ways then. I think we should focus on the Ring, since we know of its location, as well as research the unknown Horcrux. I propose that I myself will be the one to research the Horcruxes and acquire the ring, as I have already looked into the matter during the past month." He said and both McGonagall and Hermione eyed him curiously.

"But before we acquire the Ring, I would like for you both to learn the way to destroy it. With the Fiendfyre curse. We could start the training next week earliest, since I believe the Professors are quite busy during the first days after the school year starts." He said while glancing at McGonagall who nodded in agreement. "That also gives you a chance to settle down in your new dorm and get accustomed with the daily routine, as well as your classmates." He said to Hermione.

Hermione smiled nervously before she spoke, "Yes, sir, that would be okay."

"What about the other Death Eaters who are students in this school? Bartemius Crouch Jr, Rabastan Lestrange, Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew?" McGonagall asked grimly.

Dumbledore pondered his answer for a while before he spoke, "I think, if Hermione is up for it, she could try to keep a closer eye on Pettigrew. I myself do not believe Pettigrew to be a Death Eater, at least not yet. But as I said previously, even I have to admit to be wrong sometimes." Dumbledore continued with a small smile.

"Yes, I am up for it. I'll keep an eye out for him." She said and cringed mentally, for she had no desire to even look at the betraying rat. But she also knew that it was inevitable, as she was going to be in the same year as the Marauders. She didn't even wonder why the Headmaster hadn't asked her to keep an eye on Snape, she was merely glad by the fact.

"Good. And as for the others," he said and turned to McGonagall. "We do nothing yet." McGonagall looked a bit irked but said nothing more to the matter.

They continued for a while about Dumbledore's research on Voldemort's early years and Hermione's findings about the possible poisons that might've been used with the Locket. They agreed she could continue studying the poisons and testing the antidotes after the school started, but she had to do it outside classes. McGonagall promised to ask from her trusted acquaintance about the poisons, so Hermione would have the time to actually focus on her studies as well.

Before Hermione left towards Hogsmeade, she inquired Dumbledore about her situation, if the Headmaster was any closer to finding out what had happened to her than he was a month ago. There really wasn't anything new, and thus she left the school feeling empty, longing and sadness accompanying her as she walked along the familiar path to the village.

* * *

 **August 31st 1977 (Wednesday)**

The next morning Hermione met Remus at the infirmary, as promised.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted him happily, even though she felt anything but. She had had a rough night last night. After receiving the disappointing news from Dumbledore the previous evening, Hermione had spent the rest of her night wondering if she was able to return back to where she came from, and what then if she wasn't. She'd reminisced the last August, when the journey with Harry and Ron had begun, how they'd been on the run for several months, fought many obstacles and eventually had been caught by the snatchers. She'd worried for her friends, praying to Merlin that they were still alive somewhere. She missed them so much, she missed her old life so much that it hurt, and she had in fact wept herself to sleep that night. It was something she hadn't been doing anymore in a daily basis, thanks to her busy schedule, which made sure she was too exhausted to think anything at nights. In the morning, she had decided that she would try to focus on the now, at least for today, and tried to feel cheerful for meeting Remus.

"Good morning, Hermione." Remus replied and watched her with interest.

They both stood awkwardly in place, neither of them knowing exactly what to say to one another.

"May I suggest that you to go to the village and have lunch there?" Madam Pomfrey said while she walked past them towards her office, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Oh…sure…Y-you want to go?" Hermione asked and watched Remus unsurely.

Remus beamed at her before he spoke, "Yeah, I'd love to."

They walked in silence along the empty halls, through the main doors and towards the path which led to the village. A path Hermione had walked several times during the last month, since she had been at the castle almost every day. The sky was a bit cloudy, but it still warm enough to dress lightly. They both wore their muggle clothes and while Remus had a pair of worn out jeans and a blue t-shirt on, Hermione had transfigured her clothing a bit, shortening her jeans to knee-length shorts, and used a shrinking charm to some old t-shirt of Harry's to fit her better.

"So…your father is Aberforth? …Who is the brother of the Headmaster? How come I haven't heard of him before?" Remus inquired, glancing at her from the corner of his eye while they walked towards the village, side by side.

Hermione took a steadying breath, ready to test her cover story with the first person. "Yes. My dad owns the Hog's Head in the village. He and Albus are not the best friends I suppose, but they get along. And I think they both want to keep their personal lives to themselves, so…That's why you might've not heard of him before."

Remus nodded and said, "Yeah, that's understandable." He was quiet for a while before he continued. "And, er…you're from Australia? How come you don't have an accent? Did you go to a Wizarding school there?" He suddenly sounded intrigued, which made Hermione smile a bit.

"Well, my mother was an Australian muggle of English descent, and she, along with some of her relatives upheld their heritage. She met my father when he was on a holiday in Sydney. He said to me once that it was the last holiday he ever took," She said chuckling. "He swears it's not because of the outcome though." Remus smiled, but there was a hint of uneasiness and worry in his eyes, and Hermione assumed it was because of the past tense she had used when speaking of her mother.

"When I was born, my mum and I lived in London for some years, before we moved back to her homeland. She didn't really know anyone in here, besides my dad, and they weren't actually together so…" She said and shrugged, hoping her explanations were believable.

"My mum of course knew my dad was a wizard. So when I showed signs of magic, they decided I would attend the Australian Wizarding School. That way I could stay close to mum and her relatives. The school there starts much earlier than the schooling in Hogwarts, at the age of seven, and finishes a year later, the last year starting when you've turned 18. I was in the middle of my last year there, when I…had to come back to Britain." Her voice faded and she tensed.

Remus observed her closely, and they were silent for a short while as they kept walking slowly forward. Hermione could only hope that he wasn't suspicious, but merely trying to figure out the right things. Things she had left unsaid on purpose.

Soon a small grin spread his lips. "So you're a year older than us then?" He asked lightly, glancing at her.

"Oh…yes, I suppose I am." Hermione mused, not having given it a thought earlier.

As they reached Hogsmeade, they decided to go to the bookshop first, since it was way too early for lunch. It seemed that Remus was quite the bookworm too, and Hermione found out that they had a lot in common, at least regarding their fondness for literature. When it was lunchtime, they headed to the Hog's Head to meet Hermione's 'father', who was now working from lunch time to closing again. They had agreed that Hermione was to focus on her education for now, and if she had the time, she could help him around the pub on some weekends.

The pub was empty when they stepped inside, and Hermione walked to the counter, with Remus following her. They sat down on the barstools and Aberforth emerged from the backroom at the same time.

"Hi there Mione," He grunted his greeting but a small smile still appeared on his lips. "Weren't you supposed to be in the castle today?" He inquired, while he took a couple of Butterbeers from under the counter and handed them to Hermione and Remus.

"Well, we decided to come to the village, since I have been wandering in the school for the last month, and we are starting the term tomorrow, so no Hogsmeade visits until next week I think." Hermione said while smiling at Ab. Then she remembered her manners.

"Oh, Dad, I'd like you to meet Remus Lupin. He is a seventh year too." She beamed at Remus. "This is my father, Aberforth." She glanced at Ab.

They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, boy. Which house are you in?" He asked suspiciously, which made Hermione stifle a snigger as she saw how Remus's eyes widened slightly.

Remus looked very uncomfortable before he cleared his throat and replied to Aberforth. "I'm a Gryffindor, sir. And nice to meet you too."

Hermione tried to suppress her smile but couldn't keep it away. Ab burst in laughing and Hermione joined him. Remus started to look confused.

"Sorry about that," Ab said while chuckling. "I haven't been called a sir since Merlin knows when." He said wiping his eyes. Hermione looked at him with an arched brow, clearly reminiscing the day she had called him sir. They day they had met. Ab winked at her and flicked his wand – a tray appeared from thin air, which he levitated to them. It held two plates of fish and chips.

"Enjoy." He said and turned to the backroom again.

"Is he..." Remus stammered to find the right words to describe Hermione's father. "Always like this?" He asked carefully, hoping that she didn't take offence.

Hermione laughed. "Yeah, he is." She said and tucked into the food.

When they had eaten, they thanked Aberforth and left the pub. It was still early afternoon, and they decided to browse through the rest of the shops on the main road. After that, they went to spend time in the back garden of Hog's Head. They lounged on the grass and chatted about Hermione's last month and Remus's summer. Then Remus brought up the upcoming year and it piqued Hermione's interest.

"So, um…you wanted to know the…latest gossip, was it?" He asked with a small grimace.

Hermione grinned. "Well usually I'm not one to gossip, really. But…I am a nut for knowledge, and I want to be prepared I guess…" she said, cringing a little.

Remus chuckled. "Fair enough. Although I have to say, I am not one to gossip either. But maybe I can give you some details of the student population, yeah?" He said while studying her.

Hermione beamed at him and nodded. "Let's start with your house. I know there are four houses, and the history of said houses, as I have read the _Hogwarts, A History_ more than a couple of times. I have to say though; it is one of my favourite books." She said and smiled when Remus gaped at her.

"Oh. It's one of my favourites too," He said, shaking his head and smiling at her. "Well, as I said, I'm in Gryffindor. And um…I share a dorm with my best mates, James, Sirius and Peter. There are also four seventh year girls in Gryffindor - Lily, Alice, Marlene and Mary." He said the last name with a frown. Hermione took notice but didn't interrupt him. "James and Lily are actually both going to be Head students, a position which you've probably read about from the _Hogwarts, A History_?" He asked and Hermione nodded, a bit surprised. _Harry's parents were Head students? Why hadn't Harry mentioned anything to her?_

"And I'm a prefect." He continued and Hermione smiled at him, knowing it already since the older Remus had once told her that he presumed that Dumbledore had in fact named him as prefect to reign in James and Sirius.

He continued naming the seventh year students from other houses, and from other years, and Hermione was astonished that he remembered all their names. But it made sense since he was a prefect, and had NEWT classes with some of them. He went through the Professors, which mostly were the same as had been in her time, not including the DADA Professor, of course, along with a couple of others. Remus revealed some of the best pranks he and his mates had done throughout their years. They laughed good-heartedly and Hermione could not but admire how brilliant some of their pranks were. They talked until it was close to dinnertime and Remus had to leave to the castle. Before he left, he playfully promised to talk to her even if she wouldn't be a Gryffindor, to which she replied with an amused roll of her eyes. Sniggering, he went on his way and Hermione retreated to the sitting room of their quarters to have some dinner. She usually didn't eat downstairs in the evenings, since there really were some questionable people lurking around the pub every now and then.

Hermione went early to bed that night, trying to soothe her nerves with a cup of tea and some Calming draught. She was quite nervous of what the next day would bring. But one thing brought her comfort – at least she had one person to talk to. Smiling, she drifted to sleep.


	6. Sorting

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! Please review :)

* * *

 **Chapter 06: Sorting**

 **September 1st 1977 (Thursday)**

When the first of September arrived, Hermione woke up at five in the morning, feeling tense; having only had just two glorious hours of sleep despite the calm state she was in the previous night. She had been tossing and turning the whole night, thinking about how she was going to keep up her cover story so that no one would be suspicious of her. She was anxious but at the same time excited to meet Harry's parents, and she kept wondering if they were anything like Harry. She hadn't exactly given them a thought during the last month, and only meeting Remus had made her think about meeting Lily and James.

As Hermione lay in her bed, her thoughts drifted to her friends, and to the feeling she had had all those years ago when she had entered Hogwarts the first time, not knowing anyone. She thought of the people she would lose for good if she didn't find a solution that would send her back. She thought of Ginny, her fiery nature, and Harry – his bright, emerald green eyes, his courageousness and selflessness. She thought of Ron. How they never had the chance to talk about what had been starting to grow between them. She thought of her parents and how she missed them. She knew she had to go back.

 _What if she didn't find a way? Was she doomed to live here the rest of her life?_ She swallowed the lump that had started to form in the back of her throat and took a couple of deep breaths. Even though she had read every book the library had on Time magic, she was quite certain there would be an answer somewhere. If she had somehow managed to come here, she would eventually find her way back. She sighed and slowly got out of her bed before she made her way to the bathroom for her morning routine. After washing up and coming back to her room, she put on the new school robes she had purchased a month before and went downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

Later that day, Hermione walked to the school well before the rest of the students were going to arrive there. She wanted to be prepared, and really, she didn't want everyone to stare at her, no more than necessary, as she was quite recognisable with her plain black school robes. The robes were going to change to match the house colours only after she was sorted.

Sometime after she had arrived to the school, McGonagall spotted her lurking around in the Entrance Hall, and her stern expression softened a bit when she saw Hermione worrying her lip and pacing a bit along the hall.

"Good to see you again, Hermione." McGonagall said as she approached her, her emerald-green robes swishing silently as she moved.

Hermione smiled politely. "You too, Professor." She replied, her voice wavering a bit from nervousness.

"Follow me, then." McGonagall merely said, walking to the Great Hall, and then across it. Hermione followed, wondering where she was leading them.

As they reached the teacher's table, she turned right, and led her to a chamber. "You may wait here. As discussed, you will be sorted with the first years, who will be arriving shortly." McGonagall said and exited the chamber after Hermione nodded to her. She was too nervous to speak. Slowly, the voices and sounds from the Great Hall grew and after some time, she assumed the rest of the school had arrived.

Hermione sat in a chair by the wall when the doors on the other side of the chamber opened. Thirty or so small children drifted slowly to the chamber. At first everyone admired their surroundings, but then, one by one they noticed her. Hermione was glad that no one asked about her or talked to her. _They would soon find out anyway._ She thought wearily.

The door on the side of the Great Hall opened, and McGonagall walked in. She eyed the first years for a moment, as if to check if everyone was there before she spoke.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term feast will begin soon, but before you can join the rest of the students, you will be sorted into your houses," she explained. "The Sorting is an important tradition because after you are sorted into your house, you will live amongst the students in your house, take classes with them, and sleep in your house dormitory. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards…" McGonagall spoke and Hermione's focus faltered a bit since her old Head of House was giving the first years the exact same speech she had once heard.

Instead she let her mind wander a bit and eyed the batch of new students and how they listened to the older witch carefully and a bit anxiously.

"…I will return in a moment. Please wait quietly." She said briskly and left the room.

As Hermione and the soon-to-be first years waited for McGonagall to return, Hermione thought back to her previous sorting. She had been frightened, although she had read about the sorting from the _Hogwarts, A History_ , as she had wanted to prepare herself as much as possible. She remembered when Harry and Ron had wondered what exactly was required at the sorting. She of course had simply rolled her eyes at them, for not orientating themselves beforehand.

After a moment, McGonagall returned, and spoke with a stern voice again. "Now, form a line. And follow me."

Hermione took a deep breath as she followed McGonagall and the first years out of the chamber, to the Great Hall. She glanced around her, taking in the thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over the four long house tables, where the students were sitting. The tables were filled with golden plates and goblets, and every student eyed the arrivals with unwavering interest. And then, with curiosity, as their eyes flickered to her direction. Hermione knew the school hadn't had any exchange students in decades, so of course people were curious. She faced the rest of the school as McGonagall placed a stool and the Sorting Hat in front of them, trying not to listen to the whispers which were undoubtedly about her. The Sorting Hat began its song and after a short time the song was already over – Hermione was startled when the hall burst into applause. She had been too nervous to even listen to the Hat's song.

As the sorting started, she glanced at the Gryffindor table and spotted Remus sitting near the front. He was talking with someone, a boy, with their heads drawn together until Remus looked up and saw her looking at them. Remus gave Hermione a small smile, and Hermione hoped that her smile back to him didn't look like a grimace as her nerves were starting to get the best of her. The boy next to Remus was also eyeing her, but with curious and somewhat haughty expression. His eyes bore into hers, and when they swept over her, taking in her looks, she felt her face heating up from the close inspection. The boy smirked smugly and turned back to the table to talk with his friends. Hermione exhaled hard, annoyed at herself for her reaction. Sirius Black. She turned her eyes to look at the line of first years instead.

As _"Armstrong, Martha"_ was sorted into Hufflepuff Hermione began to think possible houses for her. What if she was sorted into some other house this time? Would it be that bad if she was a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw? _Yes it would._ She reminded herself. She could not afford to be anywhere else. She had to be where Harry's parents were. Where Sirius and Remus were. And Peter… _Merlin…She wasn't going to go there, not now..._

Hermione glanced over the Great Hall again, and heard that " _Baldwin, Matthew"_ was sorted into Slytherin. She knew it would soon be her turn. She tried to calm her nerves and brace herself.

" _Dumbledore, Hermione!"_ Professor McGonagall called, and Hermione swallowed hard. Whispers suddenly echoed throughout the hall.

 _"…Dumbledore, did she say?"_

 _"…As in Albus Dumbledore?"_

As Hermione walked towards the stool, trying not to misstep, she could see McGonagall give her a tight smile. The whispers and quiet laughter were making her more nervous, and she was briefly reminded how Harry must have felt when he was sorted.

She sat on the stool, put the sorting hat on her head, closed her eyes and waited. The sounds from around her became muffled and the only thing she could now see was the insides of the hat.

"Well, well, well, Miss Dumbledore…Or, is it Miss _Granger_?," the Sorting Hat spoke in her ear with a mischievous voice. Hermione flinched.

"I can see your mind, and this isn't the first time we've met. _At least it isn't for you_. Difficult. Very difficult…"

She pressed her lips together and thought. _Gryffindor_. _I belong there. I need to be there._

"Do you? I know that was your house previously, but where should you be put now…" the Sorting Hat murmured. Hermione felt a pang of annoyance as the Sorting Hat started to ramble. "You've got wit beyond measure, and Ravenclaw would suit you well, you know. You value loyalty, and you could do well in Hufflepuff too. And then there's Slytherin…"

 _No. Not Slytherin,_ She thought, gritting her teeth.

"Not Slytherin? You could do well in there as well…" the Hat said thoughtfully. "Very well, then. Better be—"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat shouted the last word to the whole hall. The Gryffindors started to cheer loudly in their table.

Relieved it was over, she put the hat back to the stool and quickly made her way to her new, albeit familiar, house table. She eyed the long table, her eyes stopping at Remus, who was smiling and beckoning her over. As Hermione neared him, she noticed that Sirius, who was sitting next to Remus made room for her between them.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Sirius said with a teasing voice as she sat down next to him.

Hermione blushed but didn't have the time to react as the sorting went on, so she kept quiet and kept her eyes at the sorting. When it finally ended, Professor McGonagall retrieved the hat and walked away briskly.

Dumbledore stood up and eyed the students over his half-moon spectacles, smiling at them warmly. "Now...to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you; it will be very much the same and somewhat different than it's always been. But I will not keep you from this delightful feast any longer." With a clap of his hands, the food appeared on the empty dishes in every table.

"Tuck in!" He said with his blue eyes twinkling as he sat down to eat.

Hermione's stomach rumbled as her eyes wandered along the table. There were roast beef, roast chicken, fried sausages, stew, casserole, roast potatoes, jacket potatoes, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, with Yorkshire pudding, peas, sprouts, carrots and gravy. She loaded her plate with a bit of everything, ending up with a pile that would make even Ron Weasley proud.

She'd missed this. Hogwarts food. As everyone helped themselves food on their plates and started to eat, she glanced around the table, finally eyeing the people who looked to be the seventh year Gryffindors. Her eyes stopped at the boy sitting the opposite to her.

He looked so much like Harry there was no doubt who he was. She unintentionally gaped at him, remembering the last time she had been at the very same table with Harry. But something was amiss. She examined his looks more carefully. His eyes. They were hazel and not emerald green. James was also well-built, while Harry was lean. The messy mop of black hair was exactly the same though, and James also wore glasses. But there was also a difference in their expressions, as James had a certain hint of arrogance floating around him, while Harry was always hunched, as if trying not to draw attention to him.

James seemed amused and a bit…pleased by her ogling at him. "Hey there, new girl," James said, chuckling when Hermione snapped her mouth shut and looked a bit embarrassed. She could see a couple of girls near them roll their eyes with exasperation.

"Um…Hello." She said awkwardly.

"So, a Dumbledore, huh? James Potter," He said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

She shook his hand. "Hermione Dumbledore," she replied, eyeing him and the others around them curiously.

"You'll have to excuse Potter for his lack of manners. Hi. I'm Lily Evans." The redhead next to Remus said, leaning a bit forward so that Hermione could see her over Remus. She had long, wavy auburn hair that cascaded down her shoulders and back. She was beautiful, and her long lashes only highlighted her bright emerald green eyes. Harry's mother.

"Hermione Dumbledore." She said, shaking Lily's hand.

"So…Are you a seventh year as well?" Lily asked kindly.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Brilliant! We are all seventh years," Lily said with a warm smile, waving her hand to the people around them. "This is Alice Brown," Lily gestured to the girl sitting next to her, who leaned forward to wave at Hermione. She was a petite girl with a black hair and a pixie cut that suited her perfectly. Her face was heart-shaped, and she had a pair of kind blue eyes. Hermione waved back and smiled at her.

"Marlene McKinnon," Lily nodded to the girl sitting opposite to Alice. She studied Hermione for a moment before flashing a bright smile and ran a delicate hand through her golden hair. Her blue eyes looked over Hermione, and her voice was sugary when she greeted her, "Hi there. Just call me Marley, okay?"

Hermione smiled and nodded to her.

"And Mary McDonald," Lily said, waving her hand to the girl opposite to her. Mary had a long dark brown hair that tumbled over her shoulders, her figure was shapely and her teeth flashed white when she smiled and greeted Hermione cheerfully, who greeted her back.

Lily glanced at the boys before she spoke to Hermione again. "The arrogant prat next to you is Sirius Black, and I advise you to stay away from him." She said, smiling sweetly at Sirius, who narrowed his eyes back to her. Hermione turned to look at him.

"Why thank you, Evans, for the introduction." He said to Lily with a wry look in his eyes, before they flickered to Hermione. "But I really must say it doesn't do much justice because, honestly, I'm awesome." He said and winked at her. James sniggered on the other side of the table.

"Sirius Black." Sirius drawled, holding his hand to her and flashing a charming smile.

Hermione eyed him closely. He was very handsome, beautiful even, with the familiar shaggy, but surprisingly silky looking hair, with his high cheekbones and soft, full lips. He had a dazzling smile, which he undoubtedly used in his favour. But her gaze was stuck into his grey eyes, which were staring at her with a piercing look. The same grey eyes she remembered seeing in her time.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said, shaking his hand briefly.

"So Remus tells me you two met already?" He asked, and Hermione nodded.

"Alright. So…last but not least, that's Peter." Sirius gestured to the boy next to James.

Hermione turned her eyes at him, and was a bit surprised. He didn't look at all like the plump, unpleasant man she had met in the Shrieking Shack many years ago. Young Peter Pettigrew was actually rather handsome in his own way. He was slightly shorter than his friends, and he had a round face and a kind look in his green eyes.

The night before Hermione had thought about meeting Peter and how would she react. She'd wondered if she could treat him like everyone else, as he most likely wasn't a Death Eater yet. She'd wondered if she could treat him like every other schoolboy. Now that she looked at him and he was smiling at her innocently, she felt kind of bad. He probably hadn't done anything yet. There was still a chance for him to change how he would turn out.

Hermione smiled back at him and held her hand out to him. "Good to meet you, Peter."

Peter gave her a small smile and shook her hand. "Likewise, Hermione."

As they continued their meals, Lily mentioned to James something about a Heads meeting the next day after classes. Hermione glanced at the Head student badge on James's chest, and couldn't help but wonder why Dumbledore had given the Head Boy position to James. Weren't James and Sirius the most reckless and rule bending students in the whole school?

There must've been some sort of confusion in her eyes since Sirius gave her a wide grin. "Yeah, believe me, we were all equally surprised," he muttered.

"Oh, that's not what I…" She tried to explain, looking between James and Sirius.

Sirius merely laughed at her as James narrowed his eyes at his mate.

"So Dumbledore…You are related to our Headmaster, right?" James asked, "Why are you coming to Hogwarts just now? We don't actually get that many transfer students in here," he said as he took a sip from his pumpkin juice.

"Um, yes, the Headmaster is actually my uncle. Aberforth, the Headmaster's brother is my father. And the reason I'm only now attending Hogwarts, is because I lived in Australia until this July," Hermione explained, trying not to sound too monotonic.

James eyed her with interest. All the seventh year Gryffindors were staring at her, surprised by her story.

Mary was the first to react. "Fuck me…Dumbledore's niece…" she said, shaking her head.

Lily shot her friend a withering look.

Sirius barked a laugh. "What McDonald said," He stated, eyeing Hermione with mild amusement. "Although, I can't help but think Dumbledore's got an ulterior motive behind this…" He continued with a sly smirk.

Hermione let out a small laugh, "Well, somebody has to keep you lot on your toes, if anything Remus here told me about you is true."

"Dude?!" James, Sirius and Peter said in unison, as they narrowed their eyes at Remus.

Before Remus could say anything for his defence, Dumbledore stood up and lifted his hands, smiling again at the students in front of him. Everyone became quiet as the Headmaster started to give the start-of-term notices.

* * *

When the feast was over, Lily and James lingered behind, being Head students. Hermione followed the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors to the Gryffindor Tower.

Alice walked next to Hermione and they spoke about the castle and the changing staircases on their way up. "Have you been in Hogwarts before?" Alice asked.

"Well, yes actually I have. I lived with my mother in Australia until this summer, and then I moved to stay with my father in Hogsmeade. I practically lived in the library for the past month," Hermione said with a small laugh. "So I know a little bit about Hogwarts because of that."

Alice nodded, studying Hermione's features. "So you studied magic in Australia?" She inquired with enthusiasm. "I'd love to hear about your school sometime, if you are willing to share," she continued brightly.

Hermione smiled and nodded to her. "Sure, of course."

On their way up she glanced back and saw Sirius and Remus walking a small distance behind them. Just before Hermione moved her eyes away, Sirius looked up and gave another one his cocky smiles before turning back to Remus, who was in the middle of telling a story, based on the way the was gesturing with his hands while talking rapidly. Hermione felt a mix of annoyance and excitement course through her. What was that about?

Before they reached the portrait hole, Lily and James caught up with them, and while James stayed behind with his friends, Lily joined Alice and Hermione.

Lily turned towards Hermione. "So I don't know if you already knew where the Gryffindor tower is, but nevertheless, that is the portrait to our common room." She said, pointing at the portrait of the Fat Lady ahead of them.

"You have to give it a password to get in." Lily said and spoke to the portrait, "Sparkling wine."

As they walked in, Hermione raised her eyebrows while Alice and Lily sniggered.

"Apparently the Fat Lady and her friend, Violet, have been boozing around in different portraits throughout the summer, hence the password," Lily explained while Hermione and Alice laughed and followed Lily towards the girls' staircase, where Marlene and Mary had already disappeared.

Alice went upstairs just as James spoke from near the portrait hole, "Ladies, just one moment if you may."

Hermione and Lily stayed behind, eyeing him curiously. He walked to them with a huge grin plastered on his face, took Hermione's hand and brought it to his lips briefly. "Good night, Hermione, and welcome to our house. If the girls give you any trouble, feel free to come to me," he said with a wink.

Hermione felt her cheeks get pink. Lily watched the display through narrowed eyes and let out a loud scoff. James smirked at the girls and made his way to the boys' dormitory with an irked looking Sirius following him.

When the girls reached the seventh floor, Lily spoke to Hermione before entering through the door that led to the dormitory, "He has a girlfriend, you know." When Hermione gave her a puzzled look, not understanding who she was talking about, Lily continued, "James, that is. Has been with her since last year." She said with a forced smile.

"Oh. Well...good for him I guess..." Hermione said awkwardly. _What? James was with someone else? Had this happened in her past or had something actually changed?_

Lily was about to say something else but instead closed her mouth and went to open the door. They stepped into the dormitory and Hermione saw a familiar looking room. The dormitory was similar to the one she'd lived in during her sixth year, only one floor higher, and instead of her previous roommates, there were new ones occupying the room. Mary was already organising her books, parchments and quills on a small shelf next to her bed, while Marlene had hopped on her bed, which was closest to the bathroom and was flipping through a magazine. Alice was rummaging her trunk on the opposite side where Marlene was lounging.

Hermione looked over the dormitory and saw her trunk at the foot of the first bed, next to Mary's. She went to her bed and took off her robes, folding them neatly on top of her bed before snatching a pair of pyjamas and her toothbrush from her trunk. Lily sat on her bed, opposite to Hermione's and started to arrange her schoolbooks ready for the term before she too started to get ready for bed.

The girls started to talk about the upcoming term, the classes they were going to take, the news and scandals they had learned during the train ride. On some point, Hermione tuned out, as she wasn't that interested of the relationship drama of miscellaneous students Marlene and Mary were going through. She quickly changed into her pyjamas behind the closed curtains of her bed, and when she flicked her wand to open the hangings, she saw Marlene flip the bird at Mary, and both of them laughing about something afterwards.

"…So what are you all wearing for the party?" Mary asked as Hermione started to collect things from her trunk for the next day.

Hermione looked up to Mary and asked, "What party?"

Mary grinned at her. "Well, every year there has been a start of term party in Gryffindor common room, and since, like fourth or fifth year, the boys in our year have been the ones throwing it. It's tomorrow night, and it is going to be epic!" Mary said excitedly.

"Oh? So you're finally going with Remus?" Lily said and gave Mary a knowing look.

Mary heaved a sigh. "I wish...I don't know what he wants, if he wants to be my friend or maybe something more. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow…But what I actually meant was that this is our last year, our last start of year party." She said, a wistful expression taking over her face.

"I know! I'm so gonna miss this. The parties, Mary's and Lily's little escapades," Marlene said with a pensive look before flashing a teasing grin to the girls.

Lily and Mary both narrowed their eyes at their friend. "Speak for yourself, Marley…" Lily grumbled.

Hermione arched a brow. "Oh? What have I missed?"

Mary shrugged. "Lils and I went a bit rebellious in our end-of-term party last year…" Mary said simply, while Lily tried to suppress a grin. Marlene and Alice giggled at them.

"It's not even that funny…" Lily muttered, but grinned anyway. "At the end of the party…we sort of…snuck out of school and went to the Three Broomsticks, transfiguring our looks a bit so that Rosmerta wouldn't have noticed…" Lily explained, shaking her head with amusement.

Hermione smiled. "May I assume it didn't work?"

Everyone shook their heads, sniggering.

"But hey, we didn't get detention." Mary said with a sly grin.

Marlene snorted. "Probably because you had transfigured your looks to resemble Potter and Black, and it was them who suffered the detention in the end," She said, bursting into laughter. Mary, Alice, Lily and Hermione joined her.

Hermione wiped tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes when Marlene spoke again. "Speaking of Potter…Lily, are you finally going make his day and be his date?" Marlene asked teasingly.

Lily huffed with irritation. "Even if I would agree to…you know, do that, I wouldn't. Because he has a girlfriend," she said promptly.

Marlene chewed the inside of her cheek. "I didn't want to say anything, since I reckon even Potter doesn't know yet, but…I think he's not going to be taken for long…"

Everyone turned to look at Marlene in bewilderment. "What do you mean, Marley?" Lily asked as she frowned at her friend.

"I mean that the Hufflepuff slag Madison, whom he's been dating, you know, since last year, has cheated on him with some guy who graduated last year…I heard her talking about it with her friend on the train on our way here…" Marlene said dryly.

Lily and the others gasped at the news. "That bitch! ...I mean, should we tell him? Poor James!" Lily flared and looked at the others expectantly.

"Ooh, so you do actually fancy him, don't you?" Alice grinned at Lily. Everyone but Lily laughed quietly.

"You're all delusional," Lily sniffed.

Mary, Alice and Marlene exchanged knowing looks but said nothing at the matter.

The girls were soon ready for bed, wishing good night for each other after putting the lights off. Hermione agreed to go to breakfast with Lily after she learned that the rest of the girls were late sleepers. She wanted to wake up and get out of bed early, to prepare herself for her first classes.

With so many thoughts rushing in and out of her mind, Hermione lay on her back, staring at the canopy of her four-poster bed for quite some time before she eventually fell asleep.

* * *

In the boys' dormitory, the lights were still up and Sirius was scribbling something on a parchment the boys had hanging on the wall, next to their bathroom door. Peter was the only one who had already changed into his pyjamas and was in the process of going to sleep. James was rummaging his trunk in search of the Marauder's Map, as well as organising his school bag and robes for the next day, when Remus came from the showers clad in a t-shirt and boxers.

"What are you doing, Pads?" Remus said and frowned at his friend who looked to be extremely focused on his task. They had several parchments attached on the wall, and Sirius was always the one to put them back up each year when they moved to a different dormitory. The parchments were enchanted now, in a way that only the four of them could read them. That was just a precaution, since one time Sirius had brought a girl to their dormitory and when she had gone to their bathroom, she had seen some of the writings in them. Enraged was an understatement for describing her wrath. She had slapped Sirius across the face, hexed him good and stormed out before he'd had time to say anything. She had also told her friends about what she had seen, and Sirius had suffered somewhat of a depression regarding his affairs during that particular spring.

One of the parchments was a charmed list of all the single girls in Hogwarts, always changing when a girl got attached to someone. One parchment was a list of the fittest girls in their school, regardless of them being single or not. The list was divided into four columns, where each Marauder had their own favourites in ranking order. Needless to say that Lily was on top of James's list even though he had been dating another girl for a year now.

The third parchment was a list where each Marauder could place "dibs" or claims for one girl for each year, and the others were then not allowed to pursue said girl at the same time. If the name was not erased from it by the setter, he continued having interest on the girl, regardless if he succeeded to get her attention or not. Of course the last addition to the rule was added when James had pursued Lily several years without any result. Sirius had actually kept his space empty for most of the years, since he had had no need to pursue any specific girl. He had more than enough of girls who threw themselves at him and he wasn't that particular of whom he wanted to seek comfort from. But now he was indeed scribbling a name on the parchment and Remus was intrigued who the unfortunate girl was he planned on preying.

James too was curious of his friend's machinations, so he walked closer to him and peeked over Sirius's shoulder at the list. "So the new girl, eh?" James said and smirked at Sirius, who gave an innocent smile back.

Remus shook his head in amusement and said, "Pads, I don't think she's like the girls you usually go after…She won't fall into your charms that easily."

Sirius turned to Remus and gave him a smug smile. "Just wait for it, Moony. I'll have her in my bed by the end of this month, mate," he said and winked at him.

"Care to make a wager of that, brothers?" James asked, grinning slyly at the others.

"Sure." Remus said, smiling confidently.

"Let's." Sirius replied daringly.

"Just to make sure - you are saying that Hermione is going to have sex with you before the end of this month?" Remus asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying, Moony." Sirius replied boldly. "Like I ever would take a bird to my bed just for sleeping," He said and gave his friend an incredulous look.


	7. Lessons begin

**A/N:** I'm so thrilled that you're reading this story! About Hermione asking her way back home - well, she's not taking no for an answer, and refuses to believe there's no solution. She's not accepting this new life so easily, even though she wants to change things in here. So be prepared :) Your reviews make my day :)

* * *

 **Chapter 07: Lessons begin**

 **September 2nd 1977 (Friday)**

The next day Hermione and Lily woke up early in the morning, and after showering, they put on their school robes, took their schoolbags and walked down the stairs to the common room. The rest of their roommates were only slowly waking up as they left. Remus was already in the common room, smirking triumphantly at Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You know you always beat me," she said to Remus, who grinned as a reply.

"Well, I think you ought to wake up earlier then?" Remus asked as they walked through the portrait hole.

Lily grumbled. "It's not like you're doing your makeup and hair in the mornings…"

Remus merely shrugged at the redhead. Hermione eyed their banter with interest.

"Lily thinks she can be the first one up on our schooldays, but unfortunately, she hasn't yet succeeded," Remus explained to Hermione, smiling when Lily made a face at him.

"So how was your summer?" Lily asked from Remus as they walked down the staircase towards the Great Hall. "I'm sorry I didn't have the time to write that often…I was stuck with my mum's relatives for the most of the summer…" She muttered sullenly.

Remus waved his hand. "No worries. It was…okay I guess. Met with the guys a couple of times and pretty much stayed at home for the rest of the holidays. Although I had to come here a few days earlier, since my folks had some vacation planned and they didn't want me to stay behind…" He said awkwardly, glancing at Hermione.

When Lily didn't even acknowledge his early arrival, Hermione wondered if the redhead knew about Remus. She reckoned it was a bit unusual, coming to the school before the term started. And why wouldn't his parents leave him behind? He _was_ of-age…Perhaps Lily did know about him…they seemed to be close friends so it would have made sense.

Lily was in the middle of explaining how boring it had been at her aunt's place. "I mean, I didn't even have Tuney there to piss me off, it was so exhausting…"

Hermione turned to look at Lily. "Tuney?" She asked subtly.

Lily blinked. "Oh. Yes. Petunia. My sister. She's a couple of years older than me," she said with a strained voice. "She's a…handful." She said discreetly, and Remus suppressed a grin next to her.

Hermione nodded. She had an inkling of what Lily was talking about.

As they reached the house tables in the Great Hall, Hermione sat down with Lily on the bench on one side of their house table, while Remus took a seat opposite to them. The Hall was a bit quiet, as it was only a few minutes past seven, and the breakfast had just started. They were the only seventh year Gryffindors at their table, and there were only a handful of younger housemates scattered along the long house table.

Hermione glanced at the table, which was filled with mouth-watering food; bacon, eggs, fried sausages, fried tomatoes, kippers, corn flakes, rolls, toast with marmalade and butter on the side, and a cauldron of porridge. As she was piling a fry-up on her plate, Remus poured tea to the girls.

Hermione wasted no time getting started on devouring her meal. She was almost halfway done when she noticed that Lily and Remus had barely started. They eyed her behaviour with a mix of amusement and interest, but said nothing about it.

"What NEWTs are you taking, Hermione?" Lily asked as she took a sip of tea.

Hermione swallowed her food and took a sip of water before she answered. "Um. I was thinking of taking Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Astronomy and Ancient Runes," she said and Lily nodded with a bright smile.

"Same here," She replied, seeming slightly impressed as Hermione was taking as many subjects as she did.

They continued their discussion as Remus recounted the NEWTs he was going to take and then wondered together what was going to be their first class of the day.

"Good morning, girls," James announced as he slid down to sit next to Remus some time after, while Sirius and Peter sat next to Hermione, and the rest of the seventh year girls took seats at the table as well. Remus rolled his eyes at his mate while everyone began loading their plates. Hermione too reached for a toast and saw Sirius smiling at her.

"So, kitten, did you sleep well?" He asked conversationally, giving her a once over.

Hermione's coughed loudly when he uttered the familiar and unfortunate pet name he had invented when they'd spent their Christmas Holidays at Grimmauld Place and had used it much to her annoyance, just to rile her up. "Um. What's with the nickname?" She arched a brow.

Sirius grinned. "Just thought you needed one," he said and winked at her.

Hermione huffed. It was too early for Sirius Black's charm. "Well, I slept well, thank you for asking. And you?" She continued, not having the energy to argue him about anything.

He smirked knowingly, "I always sleep well, but even better when someone accompanies me," He said and lifted his brows at her knowingly.

Her brows lifted with annoyance. "I beg your pardon?"

Sirius barked a laugh and said, "I'm just taking the piss out of you, kitten. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

Hermione flushed and narrowed her eyes at him. "As if I would let you anywhere near my knickers," she hissed.

Remus stifled a snort while James lifted his brows in amazement. Peter merely gaped at her, and Sirius's expression was stuck between an amazed grin and a frown. Before he could answer her, the mail arrived. About a hundred owls streamed into the Great Hall, flying over the tables and dropping letters and packages to their owners and recipients.

As some of the seventh year Gryffindors received letters and small parcels, Sirius took the morning's Daily Prophet from a brown delivery owl and slipped five Knuts to a small pouch on the owl's leg. Hermione made a mental note to make her own subscription as soon as possible.

Sirius smiled as he saw her eyeing the paper subtly next to him, and eventually he pushed it between them on the table, so that they both could read it.

After the breakfast Professor McGonagall approached them from the staff table and begun handing course schedules to the students, starting from the first years and moving up until the seventh years.

"Miss Dumbledore," Professor McGonagall said as she reached Hermione. "I have received your grades from your previous school, and I can say without hesitation, that you do not have any hindrances when choosing the subjects you wish to take in Hogwarts," she said briskly, her mouth curving slightly. "So. Which NEWTs do you wish to take?"

Hermione smiled at her Head of House. "If it is possible, I would like to take Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Astronomy and Ancient Runes." She said, eyeing McGonagall hesitantly.

"Certainly," McGonagall said and handed Hermione the timetable with her courses on it. "I will meet you in Transfiguration this afternoon."

The professor then turned and addressed Lily and James. "Miss Evans and Mister Potter, as Head Students you are trusted to handle the patrol schedules for prefects. I will expect a copy brought to my office no later than tomorrow morning. Also, it has reached to my knowledge that there is going to be a party in the Gryffindor common room tonight. Is that information correct?" McGonagall asked with a stern look. "As Head Boy and Girl, I hope you both know to keep it under control."

"Of course, Professor," James declared before Lily could say anything to their Professor. "I take my duties very seriously, and will make sure the common room is cleared by midnight," He said promptly.

McGonagall fixed a scrutinising look at the Head Boy. "See that you do."

A smile tugged at James's lips. "Will do."

Sirius snorted quietly at their conversation and smirked at Hermione when he saw the astounded look on her face. As McGonagall moved along the table to hand out the rest of the seventh years their schedules, Sirius leaned in closer to Hermione and whispered to her ear, "I personally think that Minnie has a thing for James, that's why she lets him off the hook sometimes."

Hermione lifted her brows in disbelief, but was still slightly stunned by her favourite teacher's behaviour. She also tried not to be affected when Sirius was so close to her that their bodies were touching, and tried not to think about the fact that his lips were hovering right next to her earlobe, and how his hot breath was bringing shivers down her body. Delightful shivers.

Circe...She wanted to slap herself for even thinking about that.

"So…Our first class today is Ancient Runes," Lily said a bit tightly, eyeing Hermione and Sirius suspiciously.

Hermione was shaken from her reverie and as Sirius backed away, Hermione cleared her throat and gathered her things. "Shall we?" She asked from Lily, trying to will away the small flush that seemed to stay persistently on her cheeks.

Sirius looked at her with a cheeky smile before he spoke, "Have a great day, kitten. I'll see you later," he winked and with that he and James stood up and left the table, exiting the Great Hall. She didn't have the time to reply anything, so she just took her schoolbag and left the Great Hall with Lily, her mind whirling with mixed-up feelings.

As they entered the class, Remus was sitting there with Peter. Hermione was quite startled seeing Peter in that particular class, since she had thought that he wasn't the brightest of students and Runes were thought to be a slightly difficult subject. Lily smiled and went to sit next to them, proceeding to take her books from her bag. Hermione too smiled at Peter and Remus, before sitting down next to Lily. Professor Babbling gave them their assignments, which were to be solved in small groups, so Lily, Hermione, Peter and Remus formed a group and started to translate the runes together.

* * *

As the girls, Remus and Peter were taking Runes, Sirius and James had a free period. They had decided to stay at the empty Gryffindor common room, and engage into a wizard's chess game. They sat at the two squashy armchairs facing each other, with the small chess table between them.

"So Pads…laying the charm quite thickly, aren't you?" James said and grinned at Sirius knowingly.

Sirius shrugged. "I dunno…it's like I'm drawn to her or something…" Sirius replied thoughtfully as he ordered his pawn forward.

James gave his friend a knowing smile. "Yeah…So you don't want her just because she's new and exciting?" He asked as he moved one of his pieces.

"Well, probably that too. I mean, maybe I'll get over it after I shag her," Sirius replied, smirking at his best mate.

"I dunno…She seems like one who is hard to get…I mean, she's the first girl who calls you out on your shite. Along with Lily…" James said with a small grin.

"Sod off, Prongs. I haven't even tried yet..." Sirius said indifferently before he moved one of his rooks, crushing James's pawn.

James shook his head. "Honestly, don't mess with her. Lily will have your bollocks on a platter if you screw up her new friend…"

Sirius chewed the corner of his mouth before he replied, "Yeah, well, I'll think about it. What's it to you, anyway? Why do you care what Evans thinks about my actions?" He asked with a teasing smirk as he moved another piece on the chessboard. Sirius of course knew his mate was still pining after the redhead, even though he was with another girl. He also knew that Lily wouldn't just be angry with Sirius – she would give them both the silent treatment if she was pissed off enough, regardless which one of them had annoyed her.

James let out a small grunt. "You know why…" He muttered. "Even though she hasn't really shown any interest in me, I still haven't given up hope on her…" He said quietly and rubbed his face.

Sirius knew he was talking about Lily. He nodded to his friend.

"I mean, I like Madison. She's so easy to be around, and we've had fun." James said easily. "But…To be honest, I don't really see a future for us, at least after Hogwarts." He said thoughtfully.

Sirius nodded grimly. "Yeah, I know what you mean…"

James sighed moved his piece. Sirius's King had no move and his Queen was now forced to step away in a vain effort to safe its Monarch.

"I dunno...Maybe relationships are overrated," Sirius muttered finally. He cringed as he thought of the unlikelihood of James getting Lily.

James huffed at his friend while bringing his bishop forward. "Mate," He said, holding two fingers in the air.

"Shit," Sirius muttered when he saw James could finish him off in two moves.

* * *

As Lily, Hermione, Remus and Peter walked towards their next class, Potions, Hermione went over the Ancient Runes class in her head, thinking how unexpectedly nice it had been working with Peter. She knew Remus was intelligent, kind and probably a good study partner, but she hadn't expected the same from Peter. He had surprised her with his intellect and his witticism, and Hermione reckoned that perhaps keeping an eye out for him wasn't as bad as she'd thought.

They reached the Dungeons, chatting about the Runes essay Professor Babbling had asked them to write for the next week, until Professor Slughorn appeared and opened the door to their classroom. She took a seat at an empty table, when all her classmates paired with each other. Then someone stood in front of her. Hermione lifted her gaze to meet a pair of cold, black eyes that stared at her with a blank look. She took in his unkempt appearance, his black, a bit greasy, shoulder-length hair. Severus Snape. The man who had killed Dumbledore.

"You're in my seat." He said with a low voice, dropping his potions book in front of her on the table.

Hermione was taken aback and trying to find words. "Um…I didn't realise we had assigned seats," she said tightly before moving to the empty seat next to her. She didn't know how to feel about his sudden appearance. In her time, he had been a double agent, and ultimately betrayed the Order. Although, every time she and Harry had gone through Dumbledore's death, they both had reached into the conclusion that there had to be more to it than that. But was there, really? She tried to pull herself together, to see him as a young man who was still in school. Who wasn't necessarily a Death Eater yet.

Snape didn't say anything, but merely sat on the seat where Hermione originally was situated and began to write on his parchment the instructions Slughorn had put on display, his hair falling like a curtain to hide his face from her.

Professor Slughorn began to introduce the potion project they were supposed to start, instructing them to pair up with the person next to them.

 _Great_ …Hermione thought bitterly.

"So, I guess we're partners," Hermione said awkwardly, trying to at least act politely towards him.

Snape glanced up as she spoke and he studied her with his cold eyes and an unreadable expression.

"So it seems. Dumbledore." He said finally. "I hope you will actually show effort in this class and not assume your name has some merit when it comes to the grading." He said with a slight sneer on his face, giving her a once over. Hermione sighed inwardly. Although, what she knew of Slughorn, he was known to favour students with ability and name, and for a food grade even one of those attributes was enough.

Hermione chose not to reply. "Do you want to go to the storage room to get the ingredients or shall I?" She asked him instead and aimed for a polite smile.

Snape gave her a sceptical look, and said, "I think it's best that I'll go get the ingredients, so you cannot mess that up. You can start the cauldron."

Hermione heaved a sigh and muttered, "Okay then…" as Severus left for the supplies cupboard.

 _What an arse_ …She thought as she lit the fire.

When the class was nearly over, their potion was the perfect colour and texture, bottled up in small vials to be brought to Professor Slughorn. Snape was evidently surprised by her brewing skills.

"I find your skills rather…acceptable, Dumbledore. I might have underestimated you, after all" Severus said quietly as they cleaned up their desk and packed their bags to leave.

Hermione smiled in mock sweetness to him and said, "Thank you, Snape. I trust you won't underestimate me again and assume I am only my name."

A flicker of a grin tugged his lips. "One should never just assume…" He grunted.

When everyone was drifting out of the class, Slughorn came to stand in front of Hermione and Snape.

"Well, well, well. I was hoping to see you in my class, Miss Dumbledore. You have some talent in you," Slughorn chuckled.

Hermione smiled politely. "Thank you, Professor."

"You know," Slughorn spoke, his voice lowering a bit, "I'm having a small get-together next week, and I was hoping you would attend," He said, watching Hermione closely.

"Oh…Well, sure," She stammered, not really knowing how to say no to him. She wasn't really that interested joining in the Slug Club, now that she knew what it was all about.

"Marvellous! And young Mr. Snape is attending as well, aren't you?" He turned to Snape, who nodded curtly in reply.

Satisfied by their answers, Slughorn walked sluggishly back to his desk, slouching in a comfortable armchair and opening a bag of Crystallised Pineapple.

When Hermione turned to look at Snape, she saw him already pulling his tattered bag on his shoulder and leaving.

* * *

"What did old Sluggie want?" Sirius asked from Hermione as she exited the class. He was leaning against the wall in the empty hallway, while everyone else had probably gone to lunch already.

She lifted her brows in surprise as she hadn't expected him to wait for her. "Oh…He just wanted me to join in one of his 'get-togethers'." Hermione said with a shrug.

Sirius huffed a laughter. "Of course he did," he muttered, following her as she walked towards the Great Hall.

"What does that mean?" She asked, even though she knew fairly well that Slughorn wanted her there because of her last name.

"He invites this _elite_ group of students to join in his dinner parties, calls it the 'Slug Club'." He said with a displeasing look.

Hermione smirked. "Oh? So you're in his club?" She asked teasingly.

He gave her an amused look and shook his head. "Nope. He asked me to join though, when I was younger. But something tells me I'm not a suitable candidate anymore," he said with a lopsided grin, threading a hand through his shaggy locks.

Hermione gave him a small smile in reply.

"But you know, you should go. See what it's like. Evans sure is boasting about it every chance she gets," he said, grinning slyly. "I've told Prongs loads of times that she must have a thing for the old fart…" He said and lifted his brows at her knowingly.

"Sirius!" She hissed him. "That's not a proper way to speak about a teacher," She said with a stern voice.

Sirius merely laughed as they entered the Great Hall and took their seats at their house table.

* * *

After lunch, the seventh year Gryffindors had Transfiguration. The classroom was large, brightly lit space, and everyone sat in silence as McGonagall spoke.

"Conjuration is an advanced form and branch of Transfiguration and it is considered to be some of the most complex magic taught in our school. Conjurations differ from the other branches of Transfiguration as it is the art to transfigure the desired object from 'thin air'." McGonagall explained, waving her wand and conjuring an Eagle to the corner of her desk.

She vanished it before she continued, "As you all know, there are limits as to what can be conjured. Today we will go through conjuring living beings. You will start with simple; birds and snakes which you have already conjured in your earlier years in magical education, and then move on to cast more advanced spells, conjuring butterflies, rabbits and horses." She said, looking over the class.

After McGonagall had introduced their subject for the day, she gave the students a moment to write down notes before she vanished all the furniture from the classroom, except her own table and chair.

Hermione watched in awe as James and Sirius were effortlessly conjuring living beings of different sizes and species. She was fairly good in conjuration spells, but certainly not in their level.

"Don't worry," Lily muttered next to her as she flicked her wand, conjuring a flock of birds in the air, and vanishing them after McGonagall had seen the spell. "This is their best subject." She said and gave James and Sirius a harsh look as she noticed that they'd conjured a small horse and were sniggering as they made Peter ride it in the back of the large classroom.

Hermione suppressed a grin as she eyed their performance. A moment after Peter fell from the horse, giving a small cry as he landed on his bum, causing Sirius and James burst in laughter while Remus shook his head in amusement.

Of course it was…James, Sirius and Peter were Animagi, after all… Hermione shook away her wandering thoughts and conjured her own flock of birds in the air. McGonagall eyed her work with a satisfied look before walking briskly to scold the boys.


	8. Start of school party

**A/N:** Thank you for reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 08: Start of school party**

 **September 2nd 1977 (Friday)**

After dinner, Hermione and the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors went to the Gryffindor tower to prepare to the upcoming party.

Not wanting to dress up, as she really didn't have anything to wear to a party, Hermione volunteered to get the common room ready with the boys. She and Peter were doing the decorations, moving the furniture with their wands, while Remus raided the kitchen for snacks and such. Sirius and James were suspiciously absent, and Peter and Remus refused to tell Hermione, or anyone else for that matter, where they had gone.

"So what actually happens in a start of school party?" Hermione inquired from Peter while they were conjuring red and golden balloons and hanging them to the ceiling with the help of their wands.

Peter frowned a bit before answering, "Just the usual, you know, drinking, music, dancing and whatnot."

Hermione nodded. "Well, I haven't actually been in that many parties and I just wanted to know if there would be something I should be prepared for." She said with a smile.

"Actually, now that you mentioned it… With Sirius and James, you never know. There might be something extravagant that no one can prepare for." Peter said thoughtfully.

"So you're not the one who plans the surprise numbers at the parties?" Hermione asked with a smirk.

Peter chuckled and said, "No, not today at least. I usually mend the bar," He said with a shrug.

Hermione nodded again and hanged a couple of decorated Gryffindor banners to the walls.

A while later Sirius and James came in through the portrait hole, both carrying a box in their hands. Sirius's eyes flickered at Hermione for a moment, who was busy talking with Peter and not noticing him, before he placed his box on a table and flicked his wand to cast an enlarging spell on it. While Sirius and James were unloading Firewhiskey and Butterbeer bottles from the now large box, Remus came to the common room with the snacks. The boys set the drinks and food on the table and when they were done, each took a bottle of Butterbeer. Remus came to stand near Hermione and Peter, who were in the middle of hanging a giant disco ball to the ceiling, while James went to set up the music.

"So Hermione, how was your first day in Hogwarts?" Remus asked as they watched Peter to levitate the ball up.

"Well, the day isn't over just yet, but I think it has been quite nice," Hermione smiled.

Sirius came to stand next to Hermione and put his arm over her shoulder. "Well, kitten, I think we can do better than _quite nice_ , don't you think?" He said cheerfully.

Her eyes flickered to his hand on her shoulder before she turned to look at him. "Well, I don't know, Black, I guess I have to wait and see," she said with a shrug and excused herself to the girls' dormitories. Sirius stared at her retreating back with a small smile on his lips and a daring look in his eyes.

Some time later, when Hermione came down again with her roommates, she saw that the party had already started. The girls from her dorm were all dressed up and had insisted that Hermione should at least wear some make up and do her hair. They had helped her to get ready and Hermione actually felt quite pleased when seeing her appearance in a mirror, even though she was still wearing her school robes. After mingling for a while with the girls, she went to the bar where she saw Remus and Peter making drinks to younger Gryffindor girls.

"Hi there," She greeted the boys and eyed the various drinks with equal curiosity and suspicion. How the boys had managed to smuggle a vast collection of different kinds of alcohol beverages, was beyond her depth.

"Hi Hermione! Here you go," Peter grinned and handed her a purple drink with a pink umbrella and some fruits in it. Hermione eyed it warily but took a sip eventually. It tasted rather good, and she was pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, it's actually quite good! I mean, I'm really not a drinker but I like it." Hermione beamed at him.

Peter blushed slightly and nodded his thanks before returning to his bar tendering. Sirius had appeared at the bar and was talking with Remus. When Hermione turned to leave, Sirius gave her an intense stare that made her step falter slightly. She averted her eyes and made her way towards the balcony attached to the common room, deciding that a quick breath of fresh air was what she needed. Once outside, she leaned on the railing, facing the landscape. She took a deep breath and sipped her drink, feeling rather flustered. _Merlin…She needed to get a grip. She just couldn't fall into his charm_ …

Not only was her time in this era uncertain, making it unwise to engage herself into anything and then there was the fact that Sirius was known for being a womaniser. _Not to mention he seemed like a prat._ She tried to calm herself and thought that maybe she was reading too much into it. Perhaps he was just messing with her…

The noise from inside grew momentarily louder, and she knew she wasn't alone anymore - someone had just entered the balcony. Sirius came to stand beside her, leaning his back against the railing, watching her closely.

She turned to look at him back and he gave her a charming smile. When she couldn't stop the blush spreading to her cheeks, his expression turned into an amused one.

"Am I making you nervous, kitten?" He asked with a smug smirk that made her want to roll her eyes in annoyance.

Hermione huffed and took a sip of her drink. "No. Yes…I don't know, maybe." she said with a sigh. "It doesn't really matter. I'm just not used to…You know, _that_." She said and waved her hand at him.

He laughed. "And what is _that_ exactly?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with hilarity.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "You know what I mean…The flirting, teasing and the eye thing." She said pointedly. _To which she was not falling. She was not._

Sirius barked a laugh. "You're just something else, aren't you?" He asked with a playful smile.

Hermione gave an awkward shrug. "Okay, I'll see you later." She said and turned to leave.

He took her hand. "Hey, don't go…Just…stay and talk to me okay? I would like to get to know you," He said and looked at her eyes sincerely, the humour now gone and an innocent smile curving his lips. Hermione eyed him suspiciously before she nodded and decided to stay and talk with him as he seemed genuine enough. _Merlin he was good…_

She knew Sirius from her future and at least the older him was "okay" to be around with, a bit carefree and snarky but still a good company. Perhaps she ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. They sat down on a bench and looked at each other.

"Tell me about Australia," He said, studying her features. She frowned but nodded to him. She didn't exactly enjoy lying to everyone, but she knew she had no choice on the matter, at least not now, not yet. She tried to remember everything she had already told to Remus about her fake-past, in order to not diverge from her story.

"Well…I grew up with my mum in Sydney. I attended the Australian Wizarding School until this summer. The school there starts a bit earlier than the schooling in Hogwarts, at the age of seven and the final year starts when you have turned eighteen. So basically it starts earlier and lasts a bit longer than in Hogwarts." Hermione explained plainly. Sirius nodded attentively, keeping his eyes fixed on hers as she spoke.

"What about your parents?" Sirius asked after a short contemplation. She tensed a bit at his question, and he seemed to notice.

"My...my dad lives in Hogsmeade, as you know already, and I haven't seen him that much until now, since the summer holidays are actually in December and January in Australia…But the reason I moved here is because…I...um…we were attacked. My mum and her relatives were killed." She said without blinking, her face expressionless. _Merlin…Why was she blabbering everything to him now? They'd just met…_

She had planned to tell about the attack on some point, if someone asked. It wasn't exactly a secret, as it was a part of her cover story, but she didn't really want to draw attention to herself. _And now she'd succeeded doing just that..._ She reckoned that the alcohol in Peter's drink had to be making her talk run more smoothly than she had anticipated.

Sirius set his bottle down on the end table near the bench with a harsh thud and gaped at her in shock.

"And I really don't want to delve in to that right now, not when you're looking at me like that, you know, with pity and sorry for me. So let's talk about something else," She continued, looking down when she saw his expression turning into a horrified one.

Sirius took her hand and snapped, "What? You cannot just expect me to hear that and feel nothing about it?! I'm not made of stone, Hermione."

"I don't want your pity. I don't want anyone's pity," she said angrily, giving him a dark look. She felt angry for making him care for her, to pity her, because of her lies. She was angry and sad for losing her real parents and not be able to talk about it to anyone. Hermione thought about her mother and father whom she had sent to Australia, who would never know they'd had a daughter. And she would never see them again if she wasn't going to be able to find a way back.

Sirius shoved both hands through his hair and was quiet for a moment.

"I understand you, I really do. You have no idea how much…" He said with a distant voice. There was a deep frown between his brows as his eyes searched hers. "I promise, kitten, I won't pity you, but…If you do want to talk about it, you can come to me, yeah?" He said and stared at her with sincere, piercing grey eyes before he reached out, tucking a loose ringlet back behind her ear, and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

His touch sent a warm tingling through her, and she shivered to the sensation. Then his eyes roamed her face and finally dropped to her lips. "Would that be okay?" He murmured, and Hermione could vaguely remember his question had something to do with his previous sentence.

Her eyes fluttered and she froze in place when his face came closer to hers. His other hand was still stroking her cheek, and his other holding hers, their fingers laced. _How had that happened?_ Her heart raced, and she could feel his hot breath against her mouth. She swallowed deeply. "Sirius, I—" she responded weakly, when his lips feathered against hers.

The door slammed open just then, and they jumped away from each other. James was at the door, evidently sloshed. "Oi! Pads! You shagging some poor young lady in here?" He called from the door, sniggering and his speech slightly slurring.

Sirius growled indignantly. "Go away, Prongs."

Hermione could hear a grin on James's voice. "Nope. So I suggest you drag your arse back to the party so we can celebrate the beginning of our last year, mate!" He said cheerfully and walked to the bench. Then he noticed it was Hermione whom he was with. "Oh. Hey, Hermione!" He said and grinned at her, "Er - Sorry about that. What I said about…Never mind. You shouldn't waste your time with this annoying little mutt. He doesn't know which way is up, you know? " He continued jokingly.

Hermione smirked at James and stood up. "I gather you have a first-hand experience?" She asked with a sweet smile. Sirius snorted while James was rendered speechless.

"I should go inside. Thank you Sirius." She said and glanced at the boy in question with a small smile, turned on her heels and went inside. Sirius watched her leaving with his brows furrowed and sighed.

"Did I ruin a moment, huh?" James watched his friend with amusement.

Sirius glared at him and grumbled, "Someday soon, I'm gonna bite you, Prongs."

James laughed good-naturedly and smirked at him. "Is that what gets all the girls hot and bothered?"

"Oh come on mate, it's our last year! I mean, we've had lesser reasons to get utterly pissed, eh?" James continued, nudging his friend.

"I suppose…" Sirius grumbled under his breath.

"Okay, so let's go!" James commanded and yanked his mate to stand up while Sirius was still looking irked. "I need my best mate in there."

Sirius's features softened after a moment and he nodded to James. "Let's get inside." he said, determined to start their last term with a bang.

* * *

It was almost midnight, and the party had quieted a bit, leaving only the seventh years to the common room. Hermione found herself in her favourite armchair by the fire, watching her surroundings quietly. She felt a small pang of regret for attending a party when she should have been either changing the future or finding a way back to her old life. She decided to head to the library on the weekend. Perhaps there would be something she had missed during the summer.

As she took in her surroundings, she saw Mary and Alice dancing on the small dancefloor in the middle of the common room with Remus and Peter, the girls giggling every now and then as they stumbled on the floor, while the rest of the seventh years were lounging near the fire with her. Sirius was sitting on the floor, leaning his back to Hermione's armchair, while James, Marlene and Lily were sitting on the sofa. Sirius and Marlene were arguing about some article about the Hobgoblins lead singer getting into trouble with the muggle police.

Their argument was interrupted when James stood up slightly unsteadily, and informed the group that they should now have some real fun and play a version of truth or dare, where instead of answering question truthfully, one had to take a shot of Firewhiskey. So…basically accomplishing tasks or getting extremely drunk.

"So the game's Firewhiskey or Dare." James said as he poured himself a shot of said liquid and then turned over to pour the others some shots. "You spin the bottle, and you can issue a dare to the person whom the bottle points. That person can choose to perform the dare, or drink the shot…" He explained, nodding to the shot glasses on the table.

"Oi, dancing queens, come along!" James exclaimed to Mary, Alice, Peter and Remus who were still on the dancefloor. James received some withering looks but eventually their group gathered in front of the fire.

Hermione hesitated. "I don't think I want to play. It's getting late."

James arched an amused brow at her. "No, it's not. I think you're afraid Sirius will ask you to snog him on a dare," He said with a gleeful look.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at James in response. "No. I'm not." She said with a cold voice, which only made the boy in question huff a laughter. She sighed, accepting the challenge. "Fine, I'll play."

Sirius cleared his throat slightly awkwardly and snatched an empty bottle from the floor and placed it on the table. "Okay, I can go first." He spun the bottle and it stopped in front of Marlene.

Sirius smirked and said, "I dare you to take off your top, Marley." Hermione and Lily both rolled their eyes. _Boys…_

The boys grinned and whistled when Marlene shrugged and pulled her top off, watching Sirius nonchalantly. "Nothing you haven't seen before," She said before spinning the bottle. Hermione's brows lifted with surprise. _Okay, what was that about…?_

When it stopped in front of Remus, Marlene gave him a sly smile and said, "I dare you to kiss Mary."

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Remus said and arched a brow at Marlene, but his features softened as he went to perform his dare, leaning towards Mary and kissing her chastely on the lips. Mary blushed and looked away.

"Well, there was always a choice, you know," Marlene said knowingly and winked at him.

Remus ignored her and said, "Okay, my turn." He spun the bottle and stared at Sirius beside him as the bottle stopped in front of his raven haired friend. "I dare you to kiss Hermione," He said grinning as he watched Sirius's eyes narrow at him and Hermione to freeze in place.

Sirius stood up from the floor, turned to Hermione and smiled at her charmingly. He had no problem with this dare, but the conversation he'd had with her at the balcony as well as James's earlier warnings about messing her up rang in his mind and made him hesitate. He decided to do an act of chivalry and proceeded by leaning over and kissing her gently on the cheek to accomplish his dare. Hermione's cheek tingled where his lips had touched, while a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She didn't know if she felt more disappointed or grateful because of his act.

There were no more kissing dares as the game went on. Alice ended up shirtless as well, and in the end, Alice and Marlene were passed out on the sofa, along with Peter.

On some point, Sirius spun the bottle and a sly grin took over his lips when the bottle stopped in front of James. "I dare you to run around the greenrooms, starkers."

James was contemplative for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm up for it, mate. Although, if you wanted to see me without a stick, all you had to do was ask," James said and waggled his brows at his friend, while the rest of their group sniggered at the boys.

Sirius rolled his eyes and stood up. "Shall we?" He asked mischievously. "Girls, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Prongs here make a fool of himself," he said to Hermione, Lily and Mary, and when Lily gave him an incredulous look, he continued. "Well, it probably isn't, but I still reckon it's something to take the piss out of him afterwards," He said and winked at the girls. James stood up and punched his friend on the shoulder while Remus, Mary and Lily laughed as they too got on to their feet and made their way towards the portrait hole.

Hermione yawned. "I think I'll pass, as intriguing as it sounds...You guys go ahead, I'm heading up to the dormitory," She said before walking towards the door that lead to the girls' dormitory. Before she had the chance to go to the staircase, Sirius stopped her by taking her hand and spinning her around gently.

"Good night, Hermione." He murmured, staring at her with a heated gaze as he brought her hand to his lips, turned it and placed a soft kiss on her wrist. It was a very intimate gesture and Hermione felt her cheeks burning as she let out a small breath, reminding herself to inhale. Sirius smiled at her and turned to leave with the others to watch his mate make an arse of himself.

While Hermione was getting ready to bed, very flustered, the boys, Lily and Mary left towards the greenrooms, to watch James fulfil his dare. They disillusioned themselves and somehow even after all the Firewhiskey managed to get outside without anyone noticing them.

As the group was nearing their destination, they heard voices coming from ahead. Lily, who was leading the group with James on her side, saw a couple locked in a tight embrace, leaning on the greenroom three entrance. Their hands were all over each other, the boy had his shirt half off, belt undone and trousers open, and the girl had her robes pulled up around her thighs. They were snogging furiously, as though their lives depended on it. Suddenly the girl shifted and Lily saw her face – it was Madison, James's girlfriend.

Lily turned to James hastily and grabbed him. "James, let's go back."

He looked at her, puzzled, as she usually regarded him with his last name, until he noticed the couple, nearly shagging each other in the open – some guy from Hufflepuff and…his girlfriend. He froze in place and watched in horror as they continued their activities, not yet aware that they had an audience.

"What the FUCK?!" James shouted, as his eyes widened in anger. The couple broke apart, their surprised faces turning towards the Gryffindors, who were all gaping at them. They didn't have time to do or say anything before James had already charged at a dead run, ramming into the Hufflepuff boy, taking him down. Madison stumbled back from the impact, nearly falling while she screamed in terror. The two boys hit the ground with a loud thud, where James pinned the other boy by the throat and pummelled his ribs with a series of blows. The Hufflepuff grunted with each brutal impact and struggled to break free.

"SHIT!" Sirius cursed and leaped forward with Remus, both of them grabbing James and dragging him away from the other boy.

"What the hell are you doing?" The Hufflepuff shouted when he broke free and held his side with a hand.

"You were fucking my girlfriend over there, you fucking wanker, what did you think it was about?!" James yelled back, breathing heavily, rage and confusion mixed on his red face. He remained in place only because Sirius and Remus were holding him back.

The other boy had the decency to look away shamefully.

"What's the matter with you James?!" Madison cried, finally found her voice whilst still looking shocked.

"W-What…What's the matter with me? Are you fucking kidding me Maddie?! What the fuck…You fucking deserve each other. Fucking Hufflepuffs." James shouted at her, hurt and anger flashing in his eyes.

"James! It's not what it looks like! I can explain!" She said with a panicked voice, fumbling as she smoothed her robes and buttoned down her oxford shirt.

"I think it's pretty obvious what it is," James said with cold fury emanating from him. "I've seen enough," he continued. "How about you just keep on doing whatever you think it is. Do whoever you like. I don't care. We're done here." He grit out and yanked himself free from Sirius's and Remus's grip, turned on his heels and walked away.

Sirius turned to speak to Lily, "Go with him. Make sure he goes straight to the dorms, will you?" Lily frowned, nodded to Sirius, and went after James.

Sirius glared at the Hufflepuff boy and glanced at Madison with an equally nasty look. "Madison, I suggest you go back to your dorms. We have some unfinished business with your new lover boy here."

Madison's eyes widened in fear and she snuck a glance at her housemate. He looked at her in resign and said quietly, "Go on, Mads, I'll be right behind you."

She was uncertain for a moment but eventually left to the castle. Sirius turned to Mary and said softly, "You can go too, McDonald, we'll take care of it from here."

Mary pursed her lips and sighed, miffed that she would miss the punishment of the Hufflepuff. "Fine I'll go. Just please don't kill him. I don't want you two to end up in Azkaban." She said with a huff and she too turned on her heels, walking towards the castle.

Sirius turned his eyes at the Hufflepuff and cracked his knuckles. "So…what should we do about you…" he said coldly, as he approached the Hufflepuff with Remus right behind him, "You had to know that there would be consequences, right?"

The boy looked at them with alert, ready to take a punch when Sirius suddenly spoke with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Seeing as James already took care of the beating, we have a slightly different kind of punishment for you…"

* * *

James was on his way to the Gryffindor tower when Lily caught up with him. "James, I'm sorry—"

James stopped, glaring at her for a moment, making her flinch. "Don't bother, Evans. It's not like you and I are close or anything." He said and turned his gaze away from her, continuing towards upstairs. They were reaching the portrait hole when Lily took his hand and they both stopped again.

"James, I…I'd like to think that we are at least friends, so yes, I am sorry for what happened to you. You didn't deserve it. You are a good guy, James Potter. And I want you to know that…" She started softly, looking in his eyes sincerely, but the words were for some reason stuck in her throat.

He watched her for a moment, searchingly. His bright, hazel eyes were gazing at her from behind his glasses, his hair was a mess, and he had a puzzled look on his face. Just then Lily wondered why it had taken her so long to see him, to really see him?

James cleared his throat, a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "What is it, Lily?"

She felt a jolt of joy when he called her by her first name, instead of calling her "Evans". Hearing him utter her name sent shivers down her spine, and she gave him a nervous smile as she took a step closer to him.

James suddenly looked nervous as well, and seemed to understand her intentions. Lily was torn between speaking and taking action, and eventually she made her decision. She didn't know exactly what she wanted with James, but she knew for certain that she wanted to kiss him right then and there. She wanted him to hold her in his arms, and she wanted to hold him as well.

He was still glued to the spot, staring at her closely. Lily swallowed deeply and took another step closer to him. Their bodies were almost touching. She placed her palms flat against his chest, and James let out a small puff of breath.

Her fingers trailed upwards, sliding around his neck while their eyes were locked in an intense gaze. James's lips twitched slightly before he leaned closer to her, closing the distance between their lips. It was like meant to be. It was like his lips belonged with hers. His hands found her waist and then her back, and he was pulling her closer, deepening their kiss. Lily sighed against his lips, and then she felt his tongue tracing the seam of her lips. She gave him access, tasting him as he tasted her, their lips gliding against each other slowly, wantonly.

James staggered forward and pressed Lily against the wall next to the portrait hole. She gasped as she felt his fingers tracing the skin of her stomach under her jumper, exploring her curves while he nibbled at her bottom lip.

But something didn't feel right for him. James was still angry and hurt about what his girlfriend had done to him. _His girlfriend…_ He took a sharp breath as he remembered what had just happened at the greenhouses and broke the kiss, giving Lily a startled look.

"Lily I…I'm sorry I can't." He shook his head in regret and fled inside the Gryffindor Tower through the portrait hole, leaving her breathing heavily in the hallway.

* * *

 **September 3rd 1977 (Saturday)**

The next morning Hermione woke up with a small headache, but otherwise she felt fine. Judging by the groans that she heard from some of the beds in her dorm as the sun began to shine brightly through their curtains, she reckoned the others weren't feeling that great. She stood up, showered, brushed her teeth and decided to go to the library while her roommates were nursing their hangovers in their beds.

The common room was empty, so those who had passed out had been moved to their respective beds. At least she presumed that was the case. For some reason, all the Firewhiskey bottles were gone, and instead, there were several more empty Butterbeer bottles lying around, than she remembered they had had at the party. Her fellow Gryffindors certainly knew how to cover their tracks.

When Hermione reached the library, she wasn't surprised finding herself being alone. She walked to the restricted section, into which Dumbledore had given her permission to go. She circled the shelves for a while, found a few promising volumes that were at least scraping the subject of time magic, and decided to browse through them in the secluded corner of the library. She made sure that if someone came near or walked by, they wouldn't be able to see what she was really reading about, but instead the books would look like some Arithmancy textbooks. She briefly thought that maybe she had gone a little overboard with the covering, but changed her mind when she heard a muffled noise and whispering behind a bookshelf on her left.

Two male voices were talking to each other in hushed tones. Hermione laid her book down and focused on the conversation, their voices reaching her easily in the quiet library.

"They're going to approach us soon," The first one spoke quietly, warning his companion. His voice was smooth, with a familiarity that Hermione was drawn into.

The other one snapped with an oily voice. "Yes, I am aware. We are expected to make a choice."

Curiosity got the best of her and she rose from her chair and tiptoed closer to the voices. She could see two Slytherins from a small gap between the books on a shelf. The boy who had spoken first was tall and slender with a slightly arrogant air to him. He had dark grey eyes, and full lips. His nose was aristocratic and his raven black shoulder length hair was neatly trimmed. Although Hermione had never met the boy before, she knew instantly who he was. He bore such a resemblance to his brother, Sirius, that it would have been impossible not to recognise him. Sirius's hair was much shaggier and a tad longer than his, but they looked alike. It was Regulus Black. The other boy, the one who had his back to her, she had recognised in a second by his voice. Severus Snape.

Hermione cursed inwardly as she accidentally nudged a book, causing it to make a non-existent sound.

"And what might be your decision?" Regulus asked, glancing around him and turning his focus to his companion again.

"I think it would be beneficial to choose _him_ for now," Snape said with a meaningful voice.

"For _now_?" Regulus questioned. "You mean in pretense," he concluded coolly. Regulus glanced around him again and Hermione quickly took a couple of steps away, so that neither of them saw her stalking them. A moment after she heard the two boys part, going different ways.

Suddenly footsteps were coming towards her corner. _Shit_ … She thought and snatched a book from the shelf, browsing it nonchalantly as she stood facing the shelf. She held her breath and then she saw someone from the corner of her eye. Regulus Black stood very close to her, leaning against the bookshelf and facing her.

He slowly took the book from her hands and turned it the right way, placing it back to her hands. _Circe…She wasn't exactly very subtle about this…_ Her cheeks burning with embarrassment, she turned to look at him.

Stormy grey eyes, exactly like his brothers, were examining her closely, making her more nervous as every minute passed, before he spoke.

"You must be Miss Dumbledore." he stated with an expressionless face.

Hermione swallowed deeply and shut the book in her hands. "Yes. And you must be Regulus Black, Sirius's brother." She said without expecting an answer and looked at him, trying to school her expression into an indifferent one.

His mouth curved a bit. "In a first name basis with my brother already. Not that it surprises me."

Hermione lifted her brows in puzzlement. _What was that supposed to mean?_

He gave her a scrutinising look, and a small blush tinged her cheeks. There was a short silence before he spoke. "What are your intentions with my brother?"

Hermione frowned. "Why do you care?" It wasn't exactly a secret that the brothers didn't get along.

Regulus eyed her silently. "He's still my brother, even though we don't braid each other's hair at the moment," he said simply.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, we have just met each other. I'd like to think us as friends or housemates. Is that the answer you were looking for?"

Regulus scoffed. "My brother doesn't have women as friends. He screws them." He said bitterly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you telling me this? Anyway, you needn't worry. I know how he is."

He gave her a doubtful look but said nothing.

She thought it was certainly interesting that Regulus was watching his brother and his activities so closely, as if he cared for his wellbeing. She knew that in the future, he had a reason to defect, and she had suspected it had something to do with Kreacher. Or at least what Voldemort did to his House-elf had been the final straw what made Regulus turn against him. But perhaps it had something to do with Sirius as well.

The look in his eyes turned darker. "What did you hear?" He asked suspiciously.

Hermione blinked.

"You know I am referring to the conversation you just so gracefully eavesdropped," He said blankly.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. "Everything," she said quietly, giving him a defiant look.

His brows lifted a bit, as if he was surprised she'd confess she was listening. "It's none of your business. You would be wise not to repeat it to anyone," He said with a cold voice.

"Or what?" She asked boldly.

"You really are clueless, aren't you," he said slowly, eyeing her features.

Hermione frowned. "What does that mean? I know what you were talking about with Snape. You may think that there is no other way, but you always have a choice." She said quietly and gave him a knowing look. Alarm flashed in his eyes before he looked away.

"If I were you, I would really think about it. What it will do to you if you follow this through. And what it will do to you brother," She said grimly. She saw him flinch when she mentioned Sirius.

She stared at him for a moment with a sad smile, thinking that there was no use to continue the conversation since he wasn't ready to have it, at least not yet. She put the book back to the shelf and walked to the table where her things were scattered. She put her books, parchments and quills to her schoolbag and left the library.


	9. Duelling

**A/N:** Some Sirimione fluff ahead! Thank you for reading! Please review :)

* * *

 **Chapter 09: Duelling**

 **September 5th 1977 (Monday)**

The weekend after the party was over rather quickly and Hermione had studied in her dorms and in the library for the most of it. She'd gone over the conversation between Regulus and Snape in her head multiple times after Saturday. It seemed that Regulus had been indifferent to her words, so she wondered how was she going to proceed with him? Could there be a way to him through Sirius? She let out a frustrated huff as she thought about the raven-haired Marauder and his antics on last Friday.

Then there was Snape...what was she going to do with him? Both Regulus and Severus seemed not to follow Voldemort and his dogma eagerly, but only in appearance, or so they had said. So maybe they would be willing to hear her out...

Monday came with new classes and a new teacher. Hermione found herself in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with her dorm mates, the Marauders, some Slytherins, and most of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. It was a popular class, probably because there had been many rumours of the Dark Lord. Also, it was the place where they learned how to duel.

"Good morning, class," The Professor called from the front of the classroom. "I'm Professor Prewett and I am here to teach you the Defence Against the Dark Arts," he said as he leaned against his desk, eyeing his NEWT students with an excited look.

Hermione of course knew exactly who he was, as he had been a name on one of her lists she had gone through with Dumbledore. She studied her Professor carefully, noticing quite a few similarities between him and Molly Weasley, his sister. She smiled sadly at the thought of the mother figure Molly had been to her and eventually shrugged away her errant thoughts as Professor Prewett continued.

"As you are all seventh year NEWT students, you have practiced duelling already in your sixth year. I want to see at what level you are, since in your NEWT's, you are going to demonstrate your duelling skills during the practical part of the exam." He explained. "So, find a partner and some space on the floor, and wait for my sign to begin." He said simply, and as the students all stood up, he flicked his wand to clear the room of tables and chairs.

Hermione watched as her classmates paired with each other, as did the students from other houses, and in the end, all that was left were Hermione and Snape. _Of course._ She sighed and almost rolled her eyes to the likelihood of it happening but restrained herself and went to stand opposite to him near the bookshelves on the back wall of the classroom.

Hermione's fellow Gryffindors stared at the pair with alarmed looks.

Snape watched Hermione carefully, with an unreadable expression on his face, before he spoke, "I hope you are as adequate as you were in Potions."

Hermione pursed her lips at him but said nothing.

"Brilliant!" Professor Prewett said as everyone had taken their places in the room. "Now, try to keep your duels nonverbal and use only the basic hexes and jinxes. No banned or dark curses," Professor Prewett continued with a strict voice as he eyed the students.

"You may begin when you are ready. And remember the proper duelling etiquette." He said and the students started to bow to their opponents and take their duelling stances.

Hermione and Snape locked their eyes as they both bowed to one another. He watched her with a calculating look that made her slightly anxious. Hermione took in a calming breath and gripped her wand.

He cast the first spell, a nonverbal tickling charm, and she blocked it swiftly. Hermione replied quickly with a Knockback Jinx, which he blocked smoothly with a wave of his wand.

They continued in silence, both using nonverbal spells.

Snape sent a stunner at her direction, which she blocked and replied with a Stinging Hex. He cut off her hex and threw a nonverbal _Colloshoo,_ which was blocked by her. Curses, hexes and jinxes were flying rapidly from both directions, and all around them by the other duellers.

Hermione began to think that they were quite at the same skill level, but then he managed to hit her with one of his own jinxes; after she'd sent a curse towards him, Snape ducked and sent a nonverbal _Levicorpus_ at her. When Hermione felt the tell-tale tug in her ankle, she quickly cast a nonverbal _Liberacorpus_. Snape blanched.

"How did you know to deflect that?" Snape demanded darkly. "Where'd you learn that?"

Hermione arched her brow in mock innocence and smiled. "Stupefy!" She shot the stunning curse verbally.

He blocked it deftly before casting a Jelly-Legs curse, also verbally, causing her legs to collapse beneath her and finally he managed to disarm her. " _Expelliarmus_!"

Her wand flew across the room to his hand. " _Finite_ ," Snape murmured and her legs could carry her again. He walked to her and held his hand, which Hermione hesitantly took and stood up. He placed her wand back to her hands, eyeing her searchingly. Hermione noticed that almost everyone in the room had already finished with their duelling, so most of them were watching her duel against Snape with mixed looks of surprise and interest.

"Nicely done, everyone!" Professor Prewett called in the middle of the class, beaming at the students.

When the class was over, everyone began gathering their belongings and heading towards lunch. As Hermione collected her bag from the back of the class and glanced up, she saw Professor Prewett eyeing her with a strange look in his eyes.

"Miss Dumbledore, I'd like a word with you," he said to her as Hermione was passing him and walking towards the door. She tensed a bit but turned around and stood in place, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

After the last student had left the class, Professor Prewett spoke to her. "Let's go to my office, Miss Dumbledore," Professor Prewett said, and walked to the door in the corner, which Hermione presumed lead to his office. Hermione nodded and followed him.

As they entered the small and unpretentious office, he gestured at the chair in front of his desk, while he took a seat on the other side of it. Hermione sat down and took in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed were several photographs of red-haired witches and wizards. She quickly averted her eyes from the pictures, as they brought back memories she didn't want to delve in right now. Instead she moved her gaze to the corner, where there was a comfortable looking armchair and a large bookshelf filled with interesting looking volumes, which she itched to browse.

As Hermione studied his office, Professor Prewett eyed her carefully. When Hermione shifted her eyes back to him, feeling rather nervous, she could not but admire his looks. He was tall, broad-shouldered and handsome, with wavy red hair coming down to his shoulders, cerulean blue eyes and a compelling smile. And he was smiling at her, now.

But that didn't make her any less uncomfortable as she waited for him to speak.

"The reason I asked you here, is that I want to thank you." Professor Prewett started.

Hermione furrowed her brows, "Oh...I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."

He smirked. "You can call me Gideon outside class."

"Um...okay. Er, why do you want to thank me, si…Gideon?" She frowned at him.

"Well, for saving my life, actually. And my brother's as well. So...Thank you. I'm in your debt." he said, staring at her sincerely.

"You're…welcome?" She said unsurely, still slightly puzzled by his words. _Saving his life? Gideon and Fabian...they'd been on her list. The list of casualties. Had something happened? Had something changed?_

Hermione started to feel very alarmed and didn't even notice at first as the man in front of her became more serious, the look in his eyes turning slightly suspicious.

"What I would like to know, Miss Dumbledore, is how a seventeen-year-old student would have that kind of information. How would you know about a Death Eater trap placed for me and my brother?" He asked darkly.

 _Was that how it had originally happened? And now she had changed their fates?_ Hermione's mind was whirling. She bit her lip, trying to focus on the now and gave Gideon a nervous glance. "I...I'm actually eighteen. And…I don't know if I can talk about it…" she said with a small grimace.

Gideon studied her features. "Miss Dumbledore. Your uncle said that we are going to have a conversation soon together, so does it matter if you tell me now, or later when we meet with the Headmaster?" he asked, not taking no for an answer.

Hermione looked up, giving him a wary look. "It's Hermione. And...I really think we should wait until we meet with the Headmaster—"

"Look, Hermione. I'm going to find out about it sooner or later anyway." He interrupted, giving her a pointed look.

She chewed the corner of her mouth and pondered what exactly she could tell him? _What the hell had Dumbledore told Gideon? Shouldn't he have discussed it with her first?_ Hermione and Dumbledore had agreed that they would not speak about the circumstances regarding her arrival in this time with anyone, so what was the old man doing?

Even so, she knew she could trust Gideon, since Gideon was Molly Weasley's brother, and a trusted member of the first Order. She knew she couldn't talk about the future before she had had a talk with Dumbledore, and before the man in front of her had taken an Unbreakable Vow or something, since in the end, very few people could be trusted. What if someone used Legilimency on him and that way extracted information about a time-traveller? She wasn't sure if the Vow protected from Legilimency… Then she would be screwed. And Voldemort surely would make other plans to strengthen his immortality.

She decided that part of the truth would have to suffice. Hermione took a deep breath and spoke with an expressionless face. "I had a vision about you and your brother being tortured and killed by Death Eaters who had lured you into a trap."

In truth, they hadn't spoken that much about the deaths on the list she had given Dumbledore, but he had said that he would be sharing the information with the Order if necessary. So perhaps they had managed to save two lives already, if Gideon and his brother now were in her debt. The thought both terrified and excited her.

They were both silent for a moment. Gideon rubbed his temple and stared at her with a contemplative look. "Are you a seer, Hermione?" he asked slowly, eyeing her carefully.

Hermione felt bad for lying to him, but she had to say something. "I'm...I'm not sure. I just know things. And I know that I don't want _him_ to know the things I know, if you know what I mean?" She said pointedly, giving Gideon a hard look.

Gideon quickly nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, Hermione. I will tell about this to my brother, but no one else, I assure you. Your secret is safe with us. The Aurors are taught Occlumency, and my brother and I are quite proficient with it, so I hope this eases your mind a bit." He said reassuringly, smiling at her.

"Thank you for telling me, Hermione." He continued, smiling at her while shaking his head in astonishment. Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile in return.

"I'm afraid I have someplace to be right now, but…perhaps you could stay after the next class as well, so that we can continue this discussion? There are some things you should know." He said, stood up and walked to the door, holding it open for her.

"Oh. Okay," Hermione said and stood up. She picked up her schoolbag while Gideon returned to his desk and then Hermione left his office, feeling very much confused and very much in the need to figure out what had happened.

* * *

 **September 6th 1977 (Tuesday)**

The next afternoon Hermione walked with Remus to the Ancient Runes class, after having double Transfiguration _and_ double Charms. Tuesdays seemed to be rather exhausting days, since every class they had required their utmost concentration, which made Hermione and Remus both stay in a comfortable silence as they walked through the halls.

Lily had said that she would be catching them up, since she had had a quick Heads' errand to run, and Peter had stayed behind Charms class to talk about the assignment Professor Flitwick had given them, so he too would be following them a bit later. The rest of the seventh year Gryffindors had a free period.

As they neared the hallway where their Ancient Runes class was being held, Hermione's thoughts wandered to the previous night. After dinner on Monday night, Hermione had gone to see Dumbledore. What she had discussed with Gideon – the information she had received, had bothered her throughout the day. She had kept thinking that if something had indeed changed since the Prewetts had been attacked but survived from it. Dumbledore had calmly explained to her what had happened in their assignment, and how the Order had been able to prepare for a trap because of Hermione's help.

But when Hermione had told the Headmaster that the believed that the attack against the Prewetts had actually happened a couple of years later in her time, Dumbledore had merely said that the occurrence might have been just that, which meant that Hermione was in an alternate timeline, or, that the incident hadn't actually happened yet, and would happen eventually.

Hermione had eventually returned to her dormitory, feeling frustrated and anxious for not being any wiser about her situation.

"So how are you adjusting to Hogwarts?" Remus asked after a long silence, as they sat down next to each other on a bench in the hall, opposite to their classroom.

Hermione thought about her answer for a moment. She'd had so much going on already, and it was only the third day of classes. "Well… As good as I can, I think…" She replied, giving him a small smile. "There's just so much to get used to, and it's a bit overwhelming. I mean, people are different here, and very close and familiar with one another. And the classes are different…" She said, her voice trailing off.

It was totally a lie, although the content of the lessons _was_ new to her, and everything going on between her classes - getting to know everyone, her own missions and the Order business - not forgetting about her past life and the research she had going on regarding that, made her feel she was quite overwhelmed indeed.

Remus nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. When I first came here, I thought I wasn't going to last the first year. I was very lonely, kept to myself a lot at first, as it was hard for me to get to know anyone… I thought I didn't deserve anyone's friendship. And because my mum's being ill quite often, I have to study harder to keep up with everyone so that I can visit her when necessary. I still don't quite know how I managed to make friends and survive this far." He chuckled.

Hermione knew he was talking about how his Lycanthropy had affected his life. She wished she could've just told him that she _knew_ , but it would have been too suspicious. She had to wait at least a couple of full moons. Her heart broke a little to hear he had been a lonely first year, just like she had been before she, Harry and Ron had become best friends. She gave him a sad smile and sighed, feeling a rush of emotions course through her.

"I miss my old life…I miss my friends." She whispered, blinking away tears. _She couldn't start crying now, for Merlin's sake. Their class was about to start._

Remus took her hand and squeezed it before he spoke, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't even imagine how it would feel like to leave your friends behind. I mean, I don't even want to imagine a life without my mates…" He said compassionately.

"But you shouldn't be afraid to make new friends, you know? They won't erase the ones you already have. And there are still ways to stay in touch with them, even though you're not seeing them on a daily basis, right?" He said sensibly, smiling at her. _He thought her friends were still in Australia…If he only knew…_

Remus talking about not even being able to imagine a life without his friends made Hermione grievously think that in a few years he was going to know exactly how it felt, if something wasn't done about it.

 _If she wasn't going to do something about it._

* * *

 **September 8th 1977 (Thursday)**

On Thursday evening the seventh year Gryffindors were having dinner at their table in the Great Hall. They had had a double DADA –lesson in the morning, and as promised, Hermione had stayed behind to talk with Gideon. She had come to lunch so late that the others had already gone to the next class, which was Charms.

"So, Hermione, what did Prewett want with you today? I mean, he asked you to stay after class again," Sirius asked from opposite of Hermione, eyeing her closely. He had pushed his food around sullenly the whole dinner, his eyes never leaving her.

" _Professor_ Prewett," Hermione corrected and gave him a cautious look before smiling at him. She had already agreed with Gideon that if someone asked about why she was spending extra time with their DADA professor, they would say that they were just filling in the blanks in her education, since the curriculum of the Defence Against Dark Magic - the subject that was taught in the Australian Wizarding School - wasn't as broad as DADA's contents in Hogwarts were.

"Oh, we're just going through the curriculum of the DADA. It isn't exactly the same as what is taught in my previous school, so Gideo...I mean, Professor Prewett just wants me to be prepared for my NEWT's." She answered simply, flushing slightly from her slip, knowing fully well she was chastising him a mere moment ago.

Sirius and James exchanged a sharp look. Hermione knew that Sirius had been watching her more carefully for the past few days, since she had stayed after the DADA class on Monday to have a chat with Gideon. She hadn't been oblivious to the seething looks he had given to the Professor either, whenever Hermione had exchanged words with him in the hallways outside classes.

Hermione suspected that perhaps someone – well, Sirius – might think that their DADA Professor had some ulterior motives behind his friendliness, but she couldn't exactly prove him how wrong those thoughts were since she wasn't supposed to talk about the Order or anything regarding it to the others. And thus, she had to hope that her explanation of catching up with schoolwork would be enough to answer the questions her friends might have.

Sirius gave her a fleeting quizzical look and merely nodded, and they spent the rest of the dinner time talking with their other housemates. After finishing their meal, Hermione, Lily, James and Sirius headed towards the Astronomy Tower while the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, who didn't take NEWT Astronomy, went back to the Gryffindor tower.

Once or twice a month the Astronomy lesson was for stargazing, if the sky was clear enough, and otherwise the lesson would be held in a classroom attached to the tower. That night their lesson was held in the classroom.

"Hey Pads, did you hear about the man who stayed up all night looking for the sun to come up?" James said under his breath, grinning at Sirius as the boys sat down behind Hermione and Lily.

Sirius huffed a laugh and said, "Yes, but I'll humour you, Prongs. What happened?"

"It finally DAWNED on him." He replied, smirking. Both boys sniggered, while Lily and Hermione exchanged a look of exasperation before throwing the boys a couple of scowls.

"Good evening class. We will start the term by revising some earlier topics which are part of the NEWT's curriculum." Professor Moonshine started when all the students were seated in the classroom.

"So, we are talking about the solstices and equinoxes today. Can someone tell me what the words Solstice and Equinox mean?" He viewed the class expectantly. Lily's hand shot up. "Yes, Miss Evans?"

"The words are from Latin, sir. Solstice means 'sun stands still;' equinox means 'equal night'." Lily answered, quoting their Astronomy book word for word.

"Couldn't phrase it better myself," Professor Moonshine smiled. "And what about when the solstices and equinoxes happen? Anyone? How about our transfer student? Miss Dumbledore?" The Professor looked at Hermione and smiled in encouragement.

"Er...The vernal equinox occurs on, or around March 21; summer solstice on, or around June 21; autumnal equinox on, or around September 23; winter solstice on, or around December 22." She replied anxiously. While in her past she had been eager to answer questions and prove herself, here in this era, she wanted to keep a low profile and not to draw attention to herself. At least, no more than her new last name already did.

Professor Moonshine beamed at her. "Right you are, too! Ten points to Gryffindor for exemplary answers."

When the class was finished, Hermione felt someone tap her shoulder. When she turned, Sirius was there, smiling at her a bit nervously.

"Hey…can we chat for a minute?"

Hermione knew they would have to talk eventually. About what she had heard in the library and what had happened before that, at the party. When they had nearly kissed. She nodded tensely to him, turned to Lily and said to her, "Go ahead to the dorms. I'll catch you up."

Lily eyed Hermione and Sirius closely before answering, "Sure. James?" she turned towards James who was at his table, gathering his things and throwing them into his school bag. He looked up at Lily with reserve in his eyes.

"Walk with me to the dorms, will you? These two are staying behind for a chat," Lily said a bit awkwardly, and nodding to Hermione's and Sirius's direction. As Hermione glanced at the Head students, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something going on between the two of them. They seemed somewhat cautious around one another, and didn't really make any eye contact. Hermione made a mental note to ask Lily about it later on.

"Yeah, uh, sure. Lily. Let's go," James answered, equally uncomfortable.

There definitely was something unresolved between the Head students, Hermione concluded as she watched them prepare to leave. They all left the class and Hermione and Sirius trailed behind James and Lily as they walked down the corridor in silence. Hermione peeked up at Sirius through her lashes, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his lips twitching.

While James and Lily went ahead along the corridor, Sirius suddenly took Hermione's hand and pulled her through a tapestry, to a hidden passageway that lead near the Gryffindor tower. Hermione followed after letting out a startled sound, feeling slightly surprised and nervous.

"Sirius—"

"Kitten—"

They both started talking at the same time, stopping in their tracks and grinning at each other. Sirius motioned for her to go first.

"Sirius...I…I need to tell you something," she said with a sombre voice.

Sirius's brows furrowed slightly as he took in her serious expression, and his eyes moved over her face searchingly before he spoke. "Okay."

"I met your brother...and I think he is going to do something bad..." Hermione said, staring at him with worry as she saw his posture stiffening. "I saw him at the library a few days back, and he was talking with someone about choosing _him_ ," she continued, giving him a pointed look.

Sirius's eyes turned cold, his expression shifting quickly to an unreadable one. "That fucking arsehole..."

"Maybe…Maybe he just thinks it's the safest option? Maybe he thinks that he doesn't have a choice?" She said slowly, aiming for a cautious voice as she placed her hand against his arm in a calming gesture.

Sirius spoke through gritted teeth. "Oh, he has a choice. He knows he has a choice. Because I tried to give him one…I tried to take him with me…" He hissed bitterly and ran a hand through his hair. "Who was he talking to?" Sirius asked darkly.

"It...it was Snape..." she said quietly, hoping he wouldn't lose his temper.

"Fucking Snivellus," Sirius growled. "That greasy son of a bitch!" He grumbled venomously. "Bloody gits the both of them." He continued, now more wearily as he rubbed his temple.

"But it seemed that they both were a bit hesitant of joining. And I think there might be a chance to get him on our side nevertheless." She said sincerely. Sirius's eyes snapped back to hers, suspicion flickering in them.

"Why do you say that?" He asked slowly, his eyes narrowing and scrutinising her.

"I, um…may have had chat with him." Hermione said with a small cringe.

"What?" Sirius asked blankly.

Hermione winced. "He must've figured out that I heard their conversation, and then he came to me and asked a bunch of questions, some of them about you…" she said, giving him a helpless look.

Sirius arched a brow but said nothing. Hermione wanted to squirm under his hard stare, and she had to look away. She also knew she had to explain him everything there was to the incident.

"I told him that we've just met, nothing more than that. And I asked for him to think it over, to think about the consequences, and, um…what it would do to you as well…" Hermione explained and Sirius merely watched her with a calculating look in his eyes.

After a short silence Sirius let out a frustrated huff and threaded both hands through his hair. "You know, you didn't have to talk to him. But...thank you," he murmured, his eyes staring at her with that hard look again, and this time Hermione held his stare as Sirius took a step towards her. He was standing so close that Hermione could feel the warmth of his body. Then his fingertips traced the angle of her jaw, and Hermione shivered slightly. The pad of his thumb brushed her lips, and Hermione could only stare at his glowing grey eyes, mesmerised by their beauty. She knew it wasn't wise to engage in anything with him, but she was leaning into him nevertheless. She felt intrigued by him, and being there so close to him made her want to reach towards the feeling of excitement she had in the bottom of her stomach.

Slowly, Sirius leaned towards her, closing the distance between their lips. He kissed her softly, waiting for her to pull away, his hand feathering against her cheek. When she didn't move, he met her lips again, more determinedly, and Hermione kissed him back. At first, their kiss was slow, curious and earnest, and as their lips pressed together, again and again, the kiss became more intense, and Hermione could feel Sirius restraining himself, as if keeping himself from devouring her. It was enticing, thrilling even. Hermione let out a breathy sigh, and then her tongue tentatively met his.

Sirius faltered, his breath stuttering before he moved his hand from her cheek and slid it into her hair, angling her head for better access for his mouth. He slowly pushed her against the stone wall, taking a hold of her waist with one hand while the other stayed tangled in her curls. Hermione sighed with need and gripped his wide shoulders for support as Sirius leaned down so close, his mouth brushing against hers, his warm breath mingling with hers before diving into another searing kiss. Her hands followed the lines of his neck, threading through the black locks on the back of his neck, tugging it gently. Hermione smiled against his lips as she heard him let out a small whine.

The hand on her waist moved downwards to her hips and then to her behind, while their lips kept gliding against each other with a fiery passion. His fingers flexed over her bum, caressing her, making delicious shivers run through her spine, making her breathe heavily against his mouth. Sirius pressed her against his hips, and she could feel exactly how aroused he was. Feeling him like that made her breath catch in her throat and her heart beat faster. Hermione shifted against him, feeling light-headed, drawing out a moan from him that was muffled against her lips before he broke the kiss and pulled slightly back. Both of them were panting slightly as they watched each other with a mix of surprise, longing and bewilderment.

"Sorry about that," He breathed, his brow slightly furrowed and eyes roaming over her face, as if trying to assess her reaction to what they'd just done. "There's something about you…something that's making it very hard for me to stay away from you...But I think you've figured that out already," Sirius continued quietly.

Hermione took in a shaky breath, feeling equally alarmed and thrilled as she realised what had just happened. She really didn't need to make things harder than they already were. Her situation was still unsolved, and that alone meant that she was not supposed to get involved with anyone.

"Sirius...," She whispered resignedly. He must've had seen it from her eyes because he broke away from her and took a step back.

He stared at her for a moment, looking upset. "But you don't feel the same I presume?" He asked mutedly.

"I...I don't know!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on his biceps, "It's just that...I think it's too soon...This is all happening too fast. I…I barely know you." She said sincerely. He stared at her with an unreadable expression in his stormy grey eyes before he finally nodded.

"We should go." She said softly.

"Yeah, Let's go," he sighed, took her hand and led them to the Gryffindor common room.

When they were about to enter through the portrait hole, he pulled her close to him again, in a soft, lingering kiss. The kiss wasn't as passionate as before, but more meaningful one. Hermione was startled but kissed him back all the same.

"Something for you to think about, kitten," He said with an intense gaze. He then took her hand again and led them to the common room. Sirius gave her hand a one final soft squeeze before sauntering to the boys' dormitories, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

* * *

As Sirius stepped into his dormitory, James was lounging in his bed, still in his school robes. The shower was on, so Sirius presumed Remus was in the bathroom since Peter was in his bed, already asleep.

"I take it you asked her out, finally?" James said, smirking at Sirius. James had a Quidditch magazine open on his lap, and he was looking like the depiction of a carefree, laid-back guy.

Not even bothering to hide his grin, Sirius closed the door and walked towards his bed, which was opposite to James's. "Nope. That bird is a tough cookie, I'll give you that. But you know how I love the chase, right?" Sirius winked at James who shook his head with amusement.

"All bark and no bite, mate." James muttered, giving his attention again to the magazine.

Sirius started to disrobe himself but suddenly turned to face his friend. "Prongs..." He said hesitantly, as if debating with himself. "I just...I don't think I want to fuck this up…" He said unsurely.

Although Sirius had had several girls in his bed during the past few years, he rarely was this invested with any of them. A lot had changed in a week, when Sirius had been boasting about seducing Hermione. James wondered what was it that drove him. Was he done just trying to shag her and have it out of his system, and instead starting to… _care for her?_

"Just...Be careful with her, Pads. She may look and act like a tough one, but she might not be all that." James said with a sharp look.

Sirius hummed in comprehension as he went back to his nightly routine.

* * *

When Hermione opened the door to her dormitory, Lily jumped from her bed excitedly, "So? What did you guys talk...Oh Godric, you kissed him, didn't you?!" She squeaked and stared at Hermione's mussed hair and swollen lips. Hermione felt her cheeks heat and she looked down, walking briskly to her bed.

"Well, fess up, Dumbledore," Marlene demanded from her bed, where she was finishing her Charms essay. Hermione noticed that Alice and Mary too were staring at her from their beds, all of them clearly waiting for her to return so that they could have a lovely gossip before going to sleep.

"There's nothing much to tell. Yes, we kissed, but that's all." She looked at the other girls, trying to appear nonchalant. "There's nothing more than that. I mean, isn't that the kind of guy he is?"

The girls exchanged knowing looks before Lily spoke, sounding unsure, "Well, yes, he is. But I think he is acting a bit differently with you. I mean, did he try to do more than just kiss you? Like, did he try to undress you or anything?"

Mary snorted while Alice and Marlene grinned at Lily. Lily glanced at the others. "Well, that's how he usually is, isn't he?" Lily said disapprovingly.

Hermione arched a brow at the redhead and shook her head, but then she remembered how he had pulled her tightly against him, how intense everything had been. It definitely seemed like he had wanted to do more than just kiss her. And as she felt her cheeks warm, she could only think if she'd have let him.

Alice lifted her brows at Hermione. "Earth to Hermione…" She said, a sly grin tugging her lips. "…so…something else _did_ happen?" Alice continued promptly, watching her carefully.

Hermione pressed her lips together while everyone else stared at her with anticipation in their eyes. "Well…he, um...it was intense?" She tried, and after she saw the still expectant looks the others gave her, she continued, "Okay, this is so embarrassing to talk about, but during the kiss, I felt...you know, he...was very into it..." Hermione stammered, her face heating up as she looked at the others pointedly until Marlene and Alice burst into laughter, while Mary and Lily looked Hermione back with shocked expressions.

"Yes, we know, Hermione. At least, some of us do." Marlene said and smirked at Lily and Mary, who were both still taken aback, and apparently not used to this kind of revelations about men, since neither of them had had anything more than a casual snog before, even when dating.

"So…What happened then?" Alice asked excitedly, ignoring Lily and Mary, and grinning at Hermione.

"He apologised and backed off. Things were a bit heated before that and neither one of us was really thinking where everything was heading." Hermione said with helpless shrug.

The girls stared at her with surprised looks. "Well look at that. Maybe he could be in it for the long run, if he's trying to take things slow?" Alice said thoughtfully, while Lily and Mary nodded. Marlene eyed the others in disbelief before turning back to her essay.

"I don't know…maybe. I just don't know if I should be doing anything with him. I just came here and starting something with someone is just a bit overwhelming." Hermione said unsurely.

Truthfully, she felt wrong doing anything with Sirius, because he didn't know the truth about her. And then there was the fact that she had known the older Sirius. What if she would go back to her old life on some point and she would have to leave him behind? Or what if he would recognise her if she returned to her old life and things turned awkward? Was that even possible anymore? Hermione started to gather her books and organise her school bag for the next day before getting ready for bed.

When she finally climbed between her comfortable sheets, she felt exhausted. All the lying and scheming was taking its toll on her.


	10. Infatuation

A/N: Thank you for reading! Yet another chapter with some Sirimione fluff…

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Infatuation**

 **September 10th 1977 (Saturday)**

Hermione had agreed to visit Aberforth in Hogsmeade on Saturday, to have lunch with him and then work in the pub through the lunch hour. Even though it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, she had the permission to go to the village every weekend, as she had agreed with Ab and Dumbledore that she could work in the pub every now and then if she so wished.

Hermione waved her goodbyes to the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, who were lounging in the common room after breakfast. The tower was packed - as the weather was quite cold and windy, most of the students had decided to stay inside the castle on their day off.

Just as she was about to walk through the front doors of the castle, someone grabbed her from behind and spun her in the air. Hermione squeaked and kicked until a laughing Sirius put her down.

"Merlin, don't scare me like that, Black!" Hermione shrieked and punched him in the arm when she managed to catch her breath.

"Ouch!" Sirius winced between his laughter. "Has Evans taught you some muggle duelling? You're almost as hostile as she is…" He said breathlessly, while Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"Very funny."

"Yeah, kitten, it is. Should've seen the surprise on your face," He said playfully, but sobered when Hermione gave him a mild scowl. "Okay, back to being serious," He continued and lifted his brows knowingly.

Hermione huffed. "See you around, Sirius…" She muttered and turned away from him.

He walked quickly in front of her and offered his arm for her to take. "May I accompany the young Miss to the village?" He said courteously.

Hermione gave him a quizzical look. "Are you tagging along with me just to get to the village? …Because I have a permission to go there? What are you planning at?" She asked suspiciously.

Sirius grinned at her. "What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? Ask me no questions and I tell you no lies, kitten." He said, winking at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly. "Fine. Only if you stop calling me that," she grumbled and accepted his hand.

Sirius smirked at her. "I'll make no such promise," he said mischievously and pulled her towards the grounds.

"Gonna go meet your old man, huh? Couldn't wait for next weekend?" Sirius asked and threw her a teasing smile as they walked the path to the village.

Hermione cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look. "I'm going to work there as well. You'd know that, if you actually listened what I say," She said dryly.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "What can say…I get distracted very easily…" He said with a deep voice, his eyes flickering over her face.

Hermione tried to supress a grin but failed.

"And she smiles. My day is made," He said cheerfully, squeezing her hand which, Hermione noticed, he was still holding.

They walked in silence for a while.

"When do you get off?" Sirius asked suddenly, eyeing her closely.

Hermione blinked. "What?"

Sirius smirked. "From work."

"Oh! Yes. Um…Around three, I guess…I mean, the pub won't open until lunch time, so I'm really working only for a couple of hours." Hermione said and shrugged. "Ab – I mean, dad wants to spend some time with me before that…" She continued, not really worried by her slip, as she assumed her friends probably guessed she wasn't that close with her 'father'.

Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I understand that. I mean, I'd like more of that with my dad…" He said absently.

"Oh?" Hermione asked. She had had the impression that Sirius didn't get along with his parents.

Sirius let out a short laugh after seeing her expression. "I mean, James's dad."

"Ooh." She said with recognition. But then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know anything about Sirius, so she continued, "Um. Why?"

He gave her a strange look before he replied. "I…don't exactly get along with my family." He muttered, frowning at the path they were walking along. "I ran away from home a couple of years ago, and James's parents took me in. They're like, I dunno…They feel like parents to me. Something my mother and father never did…" He said with a pensive look.

Hermione eyed him carefully. "They sound amazing. James's parents. For helping you out like that," She said quietly and gave him a soft nudge.

"Yeah, they are," Sirius muttered, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips. He then studied her silently. "Hermione…You know you can talk to me, right?" He said, stopping in place and moving to stand in front of her, eyeing her solemnly. He pushed a fallen tendril behind her ear and brushed his thumb against her cheekbone.

Hermione opened her mouth but didn't really know what to say, so she closed it and nodded to him instead. They continued their walk and as they reached the quiet main street, Sirius escorted her in front of the Hog's Head, gave her a kiss on her cheek and promised to meet her there around three in the afternoon. Then he went on his way, and Hermione briefly wondered what exactly he was going to do in the village. She shook her head and opened the door to the pub.

* * *

Later that day, as Hermione stepped into the quiet street of Hogsmeade she saw Sirius waiting for her, sitting on a bench next to the pub, his back facing her. Seeing him so relaxed, eyeing the street in front of him and enjoying the sun that was now peeking through the clouds, she decided that a retribution was in order. So, she sneaked behind him, with every intention to startle him. What she forgot to take into account was his canine senses. As she was right behind him, Sirius suddenly swirled around, snatched her hand and pulled her towards him. Hermione didn't have time to utter a single sound as she fell down to sit on his lap.

He gave her a triumphant look while Hermione scowled at him. "Something you wanted to do, kitten?" He asked with a sly grin.

Hermione grumbled under her breath and stood up. Sirius sniggered and he too stood up, and together they started to head back to the school.

"Did you grab lunch as well?" Hermione asked subtly, really interested to learn what he was up to.

He apparently knew what she was thinking, as he smirked at her before he spoke, "Well, aren't you a curious kitten?" He said teasingly.

When Hermione pursed her lips, he barked a laugh. "Okay. I had lunch, but that's all I'm telling you."

"But why? What is so secretive you cannot talk about, huh?" Hermione asked and eyed him in bewilderment.

Sirius merely winked at her and took her hand. They were on the school grounds already. "Come here," He said and led them towards the lake.

"Where are we…Okay, fine, I'll come." She relented after Sirius gave her a sharp look.

He led them to the large beech tree near the edge of the lake, conjuring a rug under the tree where they sat down. It wasn't actually a picnic kind of a weather, and even though the sun was now occasionally peeking from between the clouds, it was still a bit cloudy and chilly. He took a small package from the insides of his leather jacket. Hermione assumed he had the pockets charmed with an undetectable extension charm, since there was no way the package would've fit in there without it.

"Go on. Open it." He said with a small smile playing on his lips.

Hermione arched a brow, intrigued, and went to open the package.

"Oh! Is this…?"

"Yeah, it is. Old Florean makes the best kind, don't you think? Or, well, I suppose you just have to take my word for it, if you don't know Florean's ice creams…" He said while taking a pack of ice cream from the package. "Chocolate or Strawberry?" He asked while taking another pack and placing them on the rug.

Hermione was stunned. Who in the name of Merlin decides to get some ice cream in the middle of a cold September day – and eat it outside nevertheless? Ice cream what could be bought only from Diagon Alley. Which was in London. _So, he'd apparated to London and back, apparently…_

Hermione shook her head in astonishment. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you…" She said incredulously. "And yes, I've had Florean's ice cream before, when I've visited Britain. But – " She said but was interrupted by him.

"Give a bloke some credit. For the record, I really thought the weather would improve for the afternoon." He shrugged and took a spoon from his jacket pocket.

"So, which one is it?" He asked while opening the packs.

Hermione laughed. "Are you mental? Why aren't we inside? And don't the house elves have ice cream in the kitchens?" she asked while shaking her head still.

"They don't have _Fortescue's_ ice cream. And I don't want to share with James. He's a guzzler when it comes to sweets and anything with sugar in it." He said with a wry smile and Hermione grinned. "Besides, I can warm you up, kitten." He continued, lifting his brows knowingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored his last remark. "Okay then. Chocolate."

They were silent for a while as they dug into the ice cream. It was still as good as she remembered, although Hermione reckoned, it would've been even better if it had been a bit warmer outside.

"How was Slug Club? You made some _famous_ new friends?" Sirius asked as he fished a large lump of strawberry ice cream from the box.

Hermione pursed her lips in exasperation as she recalled the Slug Club meeting the night before. It had been the first get-together Professor Slughorn had held at his office that year. Hermione had walked to the dungeons with Lily, who had babbled away about the previous dinner parties he'd held the previous years. Once they had reached Slughorn's office and sat down at the round table, it had been just as Hermione had suspected. Most of Slughorn's guests were there only because of their influential parents, or because Slughorn believed they would be important someday.

Hermione had recognised a few of them as she had taken a look around the table; Barnabas Cuffe, the future editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet, a girl who resembled a lot like Pansy Parkinson and was later introduced as Priscilla Parkinson, Nathan Fawley, whose father Hector Fawley was Minister for Magic a couple of decades ago. She was least excited to meet Rabastan Lestrange and Barty Crouch Junior, who were both fifth year Slytherins, and of course, the future loyal servants of Voldemort.

Snape and Regulus had been there as well. They had been sitting opposite to Hermione and Lily, and it had been rather…uncomfortable. Regulus had been staring at her the whole night in a way that made her skin crawl unpleasantly. She had tried to avoid his eyes and instead focus on Slughorn, who had droned on about his famous contacts he had 'collected' over the years.

"Not exactly. It was quite dull, actually." She said with a shrug, deciding not to mention Regulus's staring. Hermione assumed Sirius would only get upset, and since nothing had really happened, there was no use to mention his brother.

He nodded. "Okay. You've visited here often?" He asked conversationally as they devoured the ice cream.

"Yeah, every year or so. When I was little, before school, I came camping to Scotland with my mum every summer. I really miss the tradition…" She said, her voice trailing off as she reminisced the camping trips with her actual parents during the summers.

Hermione shook the thoughts away and cleared the sudden tightness away from her throat. "But after school started, it was winter in here when we had our summer holidays," She muttered, feeling weary for lying to him.

Sirius gave her a fond smile. "What was the school like?" He took another scoop of strawberry ice cream and watched her intently.

Hermione hummed thoughtfully. "It was quite nice. We were taught everything from basic Literacy to Defence, I mean, the curriculum is much wider than in Hogwarts. But I guess that's because there are students from New Zealand and Asia as well." She explained and Sirius nodded at her, listening attentively.

They stayed out late, despite the coldness, talked about school and their childhood years. Hermione cast a couple of warming charms on them and suddenly it wasn't that bad. When the ice cream was gone, they merely leaned on each other and watched the sunset in a comfortable silence.

"Time to go, kitten." Sirius murmured to her ear some time later. She had almost drifted into sleep in his arms. Hermione yawned and gave him an abashed smile before she stood up. They walked to the Gryffindor tower and before they parted their ways to their respective dorms, Sirius kissed her softly to her cheek and murmured his good nights.

As she was preparing for bed that night, she was determined to try to solve the puzzle of Sirius Black. _What did he want with her? Did this day mean something? …Or was he only trying to get into her knickers?_ She scoffed aloud. Hermione wasn't going to be one of the notches on his bedpost, that was for sure. But somehow, she felt like that wasn't his goal, and instead it seemed like he was actually interested in getting to know her…

* * *

 **September 11th 1977 (Sunday)**

On Sunday morning, Hermione had an early breakfast, being the only seventh year Gryffindor at the table as the others were still sleeping in their beds. Even Lily slept late on Sunday mornings.

After breakfast, Hermione made her way to the library again. It too seemed to be quite empty at that time, and she briefly wondered if the people in this era studied at all. Making her way through the empty aisles between the bookshelves, she took a seat in the same secluded corner she had previously vacated, spreading her books and notes on the table. She opened her transfiguration notes from Friday's lesson and started to go through them. She didn't notice when someone sat down opposite to her, as she was quite absorbed with her text. When Hermione reached for her Transfiguration book from the pile at the table, she faltered as she saw the other person, causing the book to slip through her fingers and tumble to the floor.

Regulus Black was sitting there and watching her with concentration. He then calmly leaned down and picked up her book from the floor, handing it back to her while his eyes moved over her face, assessing her. Hermione's mouth was still slightly open from the surprise of the unexpected company. She snapped her mouth shut and took the book from him, murmuring her thanks, trying not to let her cheeks colour under his stare. She especially tried not to look at the small, cocky smile that was tugging at his lips.

Hermione cleared her throat and continued her homework, deciding to pretend that he wasn't there. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of being a flustered, quivering little witch when facing a Black confidence and charm. Eventually he too turned his eyes back at the table where he had placed some of his own books and notes, and began doing his own homework.

A half an hour or so later Hermione snuck a glance at him, and it seemed like he was so focused on his own studies that he wasn't even aware of her sitting at the same table. But when she didn't look at him, she could feel his eyes on her. Eventually she decided to leave it be and instead focused on her studies until it was lunch time. She then took her belongings and left the table, murmuring her goodbyes to him.

She was just about to leave towards the library entrance when she heard him speak softly, "See you around."

* * *

Sirius was staring at Hermione with a strange expression as she came down to the Great Hall, greeted her housemates, sat down at the table next to him and started to load stew on her plate. He poured her some water and watched her for some time, until she looked back at him with question in her eyes.

"What is it?" She asked quietly and gave him a hesitant smile, taking note of the unease in his eyes.

Sirius frowned at her. "What were you doing with my brother?" He asked quietly, watching her reaction carefully.

Hermione was startled by his words, and very much confused until she realised that Sirius had probably been eyeing the Map – and if he had been, well, that was still a bit questionable if he was following her movements. He must have had seen her and Regulus in it, their dots next to each other in the library for quite some time.

Hermione arched a brow at him, "Stalking me much?" She asked wryly, knowing that she couldn't actually say she knew about the Map.

Sirius's eyes darkened.

Hermione sighed. "Well, I was at the library, doing some homework and he just, you know, came to sit at my table. He didn't say anything to me the whole time. He just studied there, next to me." She said, shaking her head in puzzlement.

Sirius gave her a concerned look. "I don't like it, kitten. Who knows what his intentions are, given what you heard him say before," He muttered unsurely.

Hermione reached up to stroke his hair away from his face as if calming him, and he surprised her by turning his head slightly and pressing his lips against the inside of her wrist. Her stomach fluttered from the intimate gesture. It was getting difficult for Hermione not to swoon when he beguiled her with his charm.

"Oi, you two! You are ruining the perfect meal here, do you mind?" James complained from the other side of the table, looking at them with mock annoyance. Lily, Mary and Alice on the other hand were all looking at them with astonished expressions, as if they hadn't expected Sirius to make such public gestures to a girl he was after.

Sirius smirked at his friend. "No, Prongs, actually I don't mind," He said lightly and leaned forward to kiss Hermione on her cheek, leaving a warm, tingling spot behind.

James rolled his eyes but resumed his meal. Lunch went on, and soon the boys were talking about Quidditch, while the girls made plans for a girls' night in for the evening. Earlier that week Lily had mentioned to her friends that there was something she wanted to talk with them, and they had agreed to devote their Sunday evening to girl talk, eating sweets and doing facials. Even though Hermione was happily occupied planning the night with her roommates, her thoughts still drifted to the boy sitting next to her. She knew they had to have a chat soon, to figure out what was going on between them. But first, she had to sort it out in her own head.

After lunch Alice and Mary left towards the kitchens to grab the necessary foods and drinks while Lily, Hermione and Marlene went to the Gryffindor Tower to set everything else ready in their dormitory. They transfigured three of their beds into one huge one with several pillows, so that they could all fit in comfortably. They also lit several candles around the room to reach the proper mood and put everything else ready for their night. When Alice and Mary arrived, they started with the facial masks, and soon enough, each of them was sitting on the bed with their faces full of blue paste while they devoured chocolate cauldrons, pumpkin pasties, sugar quills and liquorice wands.

"So, Dumbledore…what's the deal with you and Black?" Marlene asked subtly as she fished through the selection of sweets. Hermione didn't miss her roommate's the calculative voice.

Hermione knew the girls would ask her about Sirius, but instead of answering, all she could think was to wonder what was Marlene's deal with him…The way the blonde haired girl had asked her about it, made her question if Marlene wasn't overly delighted about whatever the hell it was that was going on between Hermione and Sirius. Was there some shared history between Marlene and Sirius?

Alice sniggered. "I swear Marley, when you call her Dumbledore, it sounds like you are talking about the Headmaster. Why won't you call her by her first name?" Alice asked as she twirled a liquorice wand between her fingers.

Marlene smirked at Alice. "Dunno, maybe I just don't want to follow everyone else's example." She turned back to Hermione, "Well?"

Hermione frowned at the others. "…I haven't the foggiest, truth to be told. We spent some time together yesterday after I got off from work. We just walked through the grounds a bit and chatted of nothing important. There wasn't anything more than that I'm afraid," she said and shrugged. She didn't mention the girls that Sirius had in fact been in the village as well. It wasn't a Hogsmeade-weekend, so he didn't actually have a permission to be there. Hermione cringed inwardly when she realised that she had been there for less than two weeks, and she was already breaking the rules.

She didn't really want to talk about Sirius with the girls since she didn't know what was going on between them and what she actually wanted from him. Marlene raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Hermione eyed the blonde-haired girl for a moment before she spoke. "You have a history with him, don't you?"

Lily, Mary and Alice exchanged uncomfortable looks while Marlene stared at Hermione with slightly narrowed eyes. "Aren't you perceptive?" She merely said and sucked on her sugar quill.

Hermione didn't know how to respond to Marlene, so she just stared at her expectantly. Lily's, Mary's and Alice's expressions had turned into somewhat alarmed. Eventually Marlene spoke. "I like it. You're okay, Dumbledore." Marlene said and smirked at Hermione. "And yes, we have a history. A history of an on-off relationship he ended last year." She continued with a hint of bitterness. "But you didn't know that, and really, I hope things go better for you than they did for me." She concluded with a mild shrug. Hermione smiled and murmured her thanks to Marlene.

"Okay. Enough with Hermione's boy drama. Lily, didn't you have something you wanted to tell us?" Mary changed the topic quickly, making Hermione wonder if the break-up between Sirius and her roommate hadn't been particularly easy. The others probably knew more details since they'd shared a living space with Marlene for the past six years, but Hermione wasn't going to pry more information.

Lily seemed to tense a bit. "Yes. Well, James and I..." The others lifted their brows as soon as she very untypically called him by his first name. Lily sighed. "We kissed." Mary and Alice started whooping and cheering, while Marlene and Hermione sniggered. "No, no. It didn't end well, actually." Lily said quickly, looking rather insecure.

Hermione gave her friend a worried look. "Lils, what happened?"

"It was after the party last weekend, you know, when Mary and I went to see James run around the greenhouses starkers."

Marlene and Alice burst in laughter. "What?!" They both yelled incredulously, grinning at Lily.

"Well, if you let me finish, you won't be laughing anymore, I assure you." Lily said irritated. The girls went quiet.

"As I was saying, we were on our way to the greenhouses, after you two," Lily said pointing at Marlene and Alice, "were passed out on the couch, and Hermione had gone to sleep. Outside we heard some voices, and what do you know, there she was, James's girlfriend with another guy, having a battle with their tongues like their lives depended on it." She explained while Hermione, Marlene and Alice let out shocked sounds.

Marlene turned to Mary. "The fuck, Mary? You just said they broke off after the party?" She said and Mary grimaced.

"Well…I saw James the next day and he asked me to keep it down. He didn't want people to know that he'd been cheated on and asked me to ask Lily to keep her mouth shut too," Mary explained, turning to assess Lily. "And now I know why he didn't come to you himself and why he's been making excuses not to be in your company." She continued with a knowing look.

Lily ducked her head. "You noticed? Yes, um...After the incident, I walked with him back to the Gryffindor Tower and I…kissed him…unexpectedly..." She cringed with, looking embarrassed. "I mean, I didn't plan it or anything...He responded but then suddenly he broke the kiss off and said that he couldn't, and he just left me there," Lily explained, glancing at the others with a dejected look.

Alice and Marlene gave Lily troubled looks while Mary was frowning as if trying to remember the night's events. Hermione shuffled closer to Lily and patted her on her back. "Just give him time… he'll come around eventually." Hermione said quietly. Lily nodded glumly and gave her friends a forced smile.

The rest of the evening was spent with more cheerful topics. They had a vote on the best arse of Hogwarts and pondered, who had the most kissable lips and who always seemed like not knowing which end was up. The girls ended up giggling happily through the rest of the night.

* * *

Peter ran up to the boys' dormitory, frowning because of what he'd just heard. He barged in and his friends watched him expectantly.

"Well?" Sirius finally asked, frustrated as Peter was merely panting after his run and had to even his breath before speaking.

"The girls…were talking about last weekend…when Lily kissed you, Prongs..." Peter stared at James with lifted brows, as did the rest of the boys. James groaned and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! What do we have here? Forgot to mention something, Prongsie?" Sirius said gleefully, a mischievous grin plastered on his face as he approached James's bed, where his friend was sitting.

James sighed in resignation. "I didn't tell you guys because it didn't mean anything. She was just trying to comfort me and even if she wasn't, I'm not ready to start anything with her, not now." He grumbled and gave his friends an impatient look.

"Yeah, sure Prongs," Remus said easily and returned back to his bed where his journal lay open.

Sirius frowned. He felt bad for James; while he _almost_ had the girl he was chasing after, his friend got cheated on and was alone. He nodded understandingly and changed the subject, turning back to Peter.

"So, Pete, did they talk about me?" He asked, a playful smirk lifting his mouth. "They must have talked about how gorgeous I am, right?" He continued smugly.

James and Remus snorted loudly. Peter on the other hand eyed Sirius carefully. "Actually, now that you mentioned it, they did have a vote on which guy has the best arse in Hogwarts—"

"What?!" Sirius and James bellowed in unison. "Those skanky little minxes!" Sirius stated with a wide grin.

"Well?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Well what?" Peter asked, looking confused.

"Who has the best arse, of course," Sirius said knowingly, as if the answer was obvious. Remus and James rolled their eyes with boredom.

Peter's eyes widened. "Oh, well...none of you. It was actually Mark from Ravenclaw." He said with a small cringe.

"What?! The hell!" Sirius declared, glancing at his sniggering friends with annoyance. He threw a dark scowl at Peter before letting out a huff and barging to the showers.

* * *

 **September 12th, 1977 (Monday)**

The next morning Hermione and Lily went early to breakfast as usual. They had decided to make a quick visit to the library before their DADA class, so they left the table before the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors arrived.

As Hermione and Lily arrived in front of their Defence class about a half an hour later, a few minutes before the class started, Sirius threw his robes and his bag to James and marched right up to Hermione. He pulled her tightly against him, and when Hermione let out a surprised squeak, he grabbed her hands and pressed them tightly against his own behind.

"I have the best arse you can find in Hogwarts, just so you know, witch!" He growled and stared at her for a second with a burning gaze and if she hadn't already been taken aback as her hands grabbed his behind, she would have been by the intense look in his eyes. The others around them were laughing and whooping.

"Okay. Black, Dumbledore. Enough with the endearments. There are minors walking in these halls, if you don't mind. Let's begin the class." Professor Prewett announced, supressing a smile as he walked down the hall and opened the door to the classroom. The red colour in Hermione's face deepened and Sirius smiled at her triumphantly.

"Prat." She beat him on the shoulder.

"You _loved_ it." He replied easily. Hermione rolled her eyes with exasperation and followed him to the class. She didn't talk to him for the rest of the class, while he kept smirking at her smugly.

* * *

After lunch, Hermione and her friends were having a double Herbology class in the greenhouse three. Hermione was paired with Remus, like she had been during the previous lesson. They continued with their assignment from last week, which had them working with the more dangerous plants. This time they studied the Venomous Tentacula. Each pair of students was supposed to harvest a handful of leaves from the plant assigned to them. It was a difficult task, since the plant had many large vines which acted like arms that tried to grab a living prey. While one student harvested the leaves, the other made sure the plant didn't try to strangle anyone.

"How are you?" Hermione asked while she stunned the plant momentarily so that Remus could work on the leaves.

"I'm fine," He said while cutting a couple of leaves. "Was going to ask you that though…So um…What's…going on with you and a certain black-haired friend of mine? Or was? I can't keep up anymore," He said and gave her a lopsided grin.

Hermione huffed and pursed her lips. "Well, Sirius is being a prat, that's all." She said with irritation.

Remus laughed before he spoke to her. "He sure knows how to be that, trust me."

Hermione smiled at him. She glanced around them, taking a look at their classmates. Lily was paired with Alice and Peter with Mary, while Marlene, Sirius and James were absent. The three of them were having a free period as they didn't take Herbology. "I…Don't exactly know what is going on with him… I mean…we sort of…kissed…" Hermione said slowly, eyeing Remus with an unsure look.

"I know. He told me. And you went to Hogsmeade together?" Remus inquired carefully, while Hermione stunned the plant again and he cut another set of leaves.

"Yes. I mean, he tagged along, if that's what you mean," she said and they both chuckled. "But it was quite nice, just to spend some time with him." She mused and thought back to the events on last Saturday.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. When he wants, he can be an awesome friend and hold a good conversation." He said thoughtfully. "So…what did you guys talk about?"

Hermione thought back to their conversation. "Well, the usual, I guess. He told me about the Potters and him running away from home. And I told him about my previous school…" She said with a shrug.

"I'd like to hear of it too sometime…" Remus said, eyeing her hesitantly. Hermione smiled at him.

"Well, how about you come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend and I'll tell you all about it, huh?" She asked and noticed he looked a bit surprised by her question.

"Really? I thought you'd go with Sirius?" Remus asked uncertainly.

Hermione scoffed. "Well, since I'm not dating him and he's being a big prat at the moment, I think there's a slim to none chance for that happening. Besides…I can go with him on another time. And weren't you the one who said that I shouldn't be afraid to form new friendships?" She asked and gave him a pointed look.

Remus hummed in agreement and relaxed somewhat. "Yeah, I guess…Well, I'd be happy to go with you, Hermione." He finally said to her with a delighted grin.

* * *

 **September 15th, 1977 (Thursday)**

Hermione walked to the DADA class with Sirius after having breakfast together with the rest of the Gryffindors. He had sat beside her like he did almost every day and asked if she would walk with him to their first lesson of the day.

"So, are you going to tell me how you knew about the voting I had with the girls? We didn't exactly tell about it to anyone…" Hermione asked and watched him suspiciously. She had given him the silent treatment the whole day on Monday and Tuesday, until he had loudly begged for her forgiveness in their common room with a good audience, much to her annoyance.

Sirius looked abashed and winced. "Oh…well...I can't exactly tell you how, but, um...Pete spied on you." He said and gave her a sheepish smile. Hermione's eyes hardened and she stopped walking. "But don't go screaming at him because, Prongs and I kind of, you know, made him do it..." He continued quickly while cringing inwardly.

Hermione huffed, folding her hands over her chest. "That better be the last time, otherwise we'll start making counteractions towards sneaky little rats," she ranted.

Sirius's eyes widened for a moment. _Did she know? Did she know about Pete, about Prongs and him?_ Sirius schooled his face and came to the conclusion that there was no way that she could know about them. He then pushed the thought away as Hermione continued sulking and instead took her hand brushing his thumb over her knuckles softly and earning a small smile from the witch. _His witch…_ or at least soon going to be, he mused.

"Come to Hogsmeade with me this Saturday." He said softly and moved to stand in front of her, his eyes moving over her face.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "I um…said I'd go with Remus. He wanted to know about my previous school and I promised to tell him all about it…" She said, her voice apologetic.

Sirius was taken aback. His friend was going with her? Had Remus actually missed the fact that Sirius was courting her? He knew he ought to have a discussion with the werewolf. To Hermione, he merely gave a mild frown.

"Oh. Okay then." He muttered quietly, took her hand again and led them towards the classroom. When Professor Prewett walked along the hall, Sirius didn't miss the amused twitch on the man's lips as his eyes moved over Sirius and Hermione, stopping for a moment at their joined hands.

* * *

After the DADA class, Gideon asked Hermione to stay behind. They had met a couple times already, and he had been mainly briefing her about the Order – at least the matters he was allowed to talk with her. Hermione knew the Headmaster had informed Gideon that she was not attending the actual Order meetings, since her main task was to take care of her education, but he had requested that she was to be kept on the loop about what was going on.

It seemed like at first Gideon had been a bit confused why a student was included in Order business, but after Hermione had shared her _vision_ with him, he had told her that he understood that she might have some valuable information for the Order. Gideon hadn't questioned Hermione further, and she assumed he was expecting that everything was going to be explained to him and his brother next week when they were going to meet with the Headmaster.

"Lovers quarrel already forgotten?" Gideon asked lightly, his mouth curving slightly up as they sat down at his office. Hermione gave him a deep scowl, and Gideon lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay. Not my business. However...you do realise who or what his family is?" He continued, now with more hesitance in his voice.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" She asked aloofly.

"I mean, that I know he is a good guy, we were teammates after all. I just...I want you to be careful with him. His family is a vicious one, and they won't hesitate to deal with you by any means necessary if you get on their wrong side," He explained and studied her with a slight worry in his eyes.

Hermione set her jaw before she spoke to him. "I'll be fine, trust me. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure. Um…My brother is excited to meet you next week. He's been on a mission for a few weeks now," Gideon said with a grin.

"Oh. Well, I'm looking forward to meeting him too." Hermione smiled at him.

They continued to talk about Order matters, going through the recent missions, including Fabian's, and some of the upcoming ones.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Great Hall, the Marauders were having lunch.

"What the fuck, mate?" Sirius grumbled as he sat next to Remus, looking at him with blazing grey eyes.

Remus merely arched a brow at him and took a sip of water from his goblet. He knew what his friend was raving about but reckoned that if something was bothering him, he had to say it aloud. "Yes?" Remus asked calmly. James suppressed a grin on his other side, knowing what was bothering his mate and Remus guessed that Sirius probably hadn't shut up about it during their Defence class where he had been paired with James.

"You know what I mean, Moony. Did you do it on purpose? So that I couldn't win the bet, huh?" Sirius demanded with a mix of smugness and annoyance in his voice.

Remus scoffed. "Are you even going on with that bet anymore, Pads? Or is it something more you're seeking?" He whispered harshly to him, suspecting the latter.

Sirius was speechless for a moment. "I…I dunno." He muttered and with a frown, he turned his gaze towards the table.

"Well, figure it out. And tell her what you want." Remus said reasonably. Sirius eyed his friend for a while, eventually nodding to him. Remus knew that he was right; his friend needed to figure out what he wanted. And it seemed that Sirius was thinking along the same lines.

* * *

As Hermione left Gideon's office to grab lunch, she bumped straight into someone when turning a corner in the hall. She nearly fell and grabbed the other person from shoulders for support.

"Oh, Sorry I..." She started but her voice faded as she noticed who it was, "Regulus." She said and gave him a small smile when she figured that he was just as surprised to bump into her.

His grey eyes stared at her brown ones with such intensity, that she forgot that her hands were still on his shoulders. His eyes were exactly the same stormy grey that Sirius's were. _Sirius_. She jumped away from him, her eyes widening with embarrassment. Hermione muttered a hasty sorry, and retreated quickly towards the Great Hall.

 _What was that about?_ Hermione wondered while taking a seat at the table, where most of the seventh year Gryffindors were finishing their meals. She began wolfing down her food quickly, knowing that the lunch would be soon over. While she ate, Hermione glanced over the table, where the boys sat, and she noticed that Sirius was watching her – well, probably her table manners – with mild amusement, a smile tugging at his lips, before continuing his discussion with Remus. _Apparently she had become a Ron when it came to food and eating. Godric…_ She rolled her eyes inwardly and tried to eat more appropriately.

* * *

After their double Charms lesson, before dinner and the Astronomy class, Hermione found Sirius lounging on their common room couch. Trying to spot her other classmates, her gaze wandered over the comfortable room that was decorated in several shades of red, stopping to the seating area in front of the fire, with several squashy armchairs and a couch where the raven-haired boy was situated. She saw a small group of fourth years in a study nook in one corner, and two sixth years playing wizards chess near the portrait hole. Otherwise the room was rather empty.

"Where are all the others?" Hermione asked while sitting at the end of the couch after Sirius moved his feet to give her some space.

"James and Lily are on Heads duty, Moony and Pete are hanging outside by the lake with Alice and Mary and, uh, Marley's probably off snogging some poor Ravenclaw in a broom closet," he said with an amused huff.

Hermione lifted her brows at him. "How would you know if Marley is snogging a Ravenclaw?" She asked blankly.

"Because I know what she's up to when she's vacating a broom closet," He said nonchalantly. Hermione's gaze turned into a scowl.

Sirius sniggered and looked at her with a cheeky grin, "Jealous, kitten?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No. I was just wondering how you can have that specific information about our classmates' whereabouts," she said dryly, looking away from him. She of course knew that their friends' locations would easily be found on the Map, excepting what they were actually doing. His comment about Marley stung Hermione a bit, and she tried not to imagine Sirius and her dormmate in action inside a broom closet.

Sirius caught the change in her mood and seemed to guess what she was thinking about.

"You know, it was a long time ago. The thing between Marley and me. I'm not sure if you already knew but…well, there it is. We dated a while, few times actually and it just didn't work out," he said quietly, staring at her intently when she turned to face him again.

"Yeah, I know. She told me," Hermione said uncertainly.

"Kitten, I don't have any sort of feelings for her anymore. In fact, there's only one witch I think about…" he murmured and eyed her with a sincere look in his grey eyes.

Hermione felt her cheeks heating. "Oh," she merely said, not really knowing how to respond to him.

Sirius's lips curved into a smile and suddenly he hooked his feet around her and tugged her until she was sprawled on her stomach on top of him, between his legs and her face inches away from his.

"That's more like it…" Sirius murmured as his eyes swept over her face with a searching look.

Hermione felt her heart pound in her chest when he slowly closed the distance between their lips and kissed her lightly. She answered to his kiss hesitantly and let out a stuttering breath as his hand cupped her bum and pulled her closer to him.

"Sirius…There are others in this room," Hermione whispered warningly after breaking their kiss.

"I don't care," He muttered before pressing his lips to hers again, more heatedly this time. She gasped as she felt him squeezing her bum, and then his tongue reached out to touch hers tentatively. Very conscious about their possible audience, Hermione eventually broke the kiss and pulled back. Sirius groaned in disappointment and let his head fall back to the cushion.

"Don't go." He said with a soft whine as she backed away more. His eyes were closed and he was breathing a bit heavier than normally. "Just come here, okay? Let me hold you, kitten," he said after opening his eyes and staring at her with an appealing look.

She wanted to. Somehow, he made her feel at ease and excited at the same time. So, she swallowed down the hesitance she had about getting involved with people in this time and simply let herself have that moment. Hermione looked briefly over the room. When no one seemed to so much as glance at their direction, she gave him a small smile and lowered her head against his chest.

Sirius let out a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"Don't run away from me, Hermione." He murmured, making her feel a bit overwhelmed. She felt so good in his arms, and she wanted nothing more than to be near him, but her head told her not to jump into whatever it was too quickly.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "I won't. But...Can we take it slow?" She asked, lifting her head to watch him with an unsure look.

"Of course we can, kitten." He said with a pleased smile. He brought his hand up to brush his fingertips against her jaw.

Hermione gave him a sweet smile and lay her head against his chest again, while one of his hands stroked her back lightly. They stayed like that until it was dinnertime, when they reluctantly got up and headed towards the Great Hall.


	11. New Allies

**A/N:** I'd like to remind you about the rating (M) in this chapter.

And also - there will be some explicit content (read: smut) along the way, but I'll be probably posting them only to Ao3, as the rules in ffnet don't exactly allow explicit material... I haven't yet had the time to add this story to Ao3, so I'll post the link in my authors notes as soon as I've done that. :) Thank you for reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 11: New Allies**

 **September 17th 1977 (Saturday)**

It was their first Hogsmeade trip, and Hermione and Remus had agreed they'd leave towards the village as soon as they'd had breakfast. The plan was to browse the shops and then go to the Three Broomstick to meet the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors for lunch.

Hermione woke up early and met Remus in the common room after showering and getting dressed. They were the first Gryffindors at breakfast – the others arrived to the Great Hall as they were already leaving. After breakfast, Hermione, Remus, and a handful of other students emerged to the brisk morning air. The sun shined brightly, casting shadows on the line of trees next to the path they walked along.

"So…you wanted to know about the Australian Wizarding School?" Hermione asked after a small silence, remembering he had said something of the sort.

"Yeah, I'd love to." Remus said and gave her a small smile.

Hermione stared absently at a group of Ravenclaws who were walking further along the path as she thought what to say to him. "Hmm. Where to start. Well. The school was founded in 1816 and it is located in New South Wales Blue Mountain range. The students are split into five houses, and they are sorted similarly as in Hogwarts, at the beginning of their first year. The schoolyear begins in early February and continues to late November. It's made up of four terms which are ten weeks in length, with a one week holiday in between each. The school closes for the summer in late November. Its curriculum – " Hermione's textbook description was interrupted by Remus lifting his hand and giving her an apologising smile.

"No, no, Hermione. You understood me incorrectly. I know all of that, and you have recited _An Appraisal of Magical Education throughout the World_ almost word for word," he said and frowned at her. "What I meant was that I'd like to know about _you_ in your previous school. What it was like to study there, about your friends and what not." He said carefully, studying her expression as they walked forward.

"Oh…" She muttered, and rolled her eyes inwardly. _Of course_ Remus had read the same book she had extracted her knowledge about her made-up previous school from. Perhaps…perhaps she could just tell him parts of the truth…She didn't have to say _where or when_ all of it had happened…

"It…It was pretty great actually. At first, I didn't have any friends, much like you, although not for the same reasons I guess. I was a bit of a know-it-all back then, and pretty much drove away anyone who was even slightly willing to get to know me." She chuckled. Remus smiled at her but she noticed a bit of sadness in his expression.

"You probably won't believe me but…when I was twelve, I faced a mountain troll with two boys in my year, Harry and Ron, and since then, we were inseparable." She said and shrugged when Remus gaped at her, seemingly trying to form words but not quite succeeding.

Hermione grinned at his expression. "Oh, that is not even close to the top of the blood-curdling occurrences I have somehow gotten into."

"W-What…a Troll…Merlin. What else?" Remus stammered as he stared at her in bewilderment.

"Um…When I was thirteen, I got petrified by a Basilisk." She said with a slight grimace. Even the mere thought brought her shivers…what if she hadn't known to look through the mirror?

"Merlin's balls…you are not taking the mickey?" He gaped at her again, stopping in the middle of the road.

Hermione gave him a wry smile. "I wish I was…" She said grimly and Remus let out a baffled laughter.

"So...Do you keep in touch with your friends and mum?" Remus asked after they continued to walk ahead.

Hermione swallowed, knowing that she had to give him a similar explanation that she had given Sirius. "No. I don't," she said quietly. Remus looked at her closely. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, before she continued. "They, um…we were attacked and…I was the only one who got away..." She said, her voice wavering slightly. She hated it. She hated lying to everyone.

Remus stopped again in his tracks, staring at her in horror. "W-What?" He asked, his voice rising a bit. "You were attacked? By whom?" He asked urgently, his eyes moving over her face.

She took a steadying breath. "An enemy…I…could we not talk about it?" She asked pleadingly, not wanting to lie anymore, nor telling him the truth.

Remus nodded slowly, a mix of pity and worry crossing his features. "Of course," he said quietly. Hermione looked quickly away, feeling unworthy of his sympathy.

He surprised her by pulling her closer and enveloping her into a soft hug. "I'm sorry Hermione. That's…I don't know what to say. I can't even begin to understand what you are going through," he murmured into her hair. "You now I'm here for you, right?" Remus spoke with a muffled voice as he held her close to him.

Hermione cleared away the sudden tightness in her throat. "I know, Remus." She replied quietly as they broke off. Even though she couldn't actually tell him about the horrors that had happened in her past, and nearly everything she had said to him had been mixed with lies, she still felt slightly better being able to talk with someone.

Remus seemed to understand that she didn't want to discuss the topic any further, so he changed the subject to their Hogsmeade trip.

"Just to warn you; I might want to stay a while at Tomes and Scrolls, so if you find yourself in a state of boredom, just remind me, yeah?" he asked sheepishly.

Hermione laughed. "Likewise," she said pointedly, and Remus grinned. She hadn't had the chance to visit the bookshop in several days, and she knew the owner would always put new volumes for sale in the beginning of every month.

Once they arrived at the bookshop, Hermione surveyed the shelves for a while until she found a large tome that piqued her interest. She took the book and seated herself in a comfortable chair in a small reading nook between the shelves. Remus joined her after a moment with his own book. A half an hour later they were both engrossed by the texts. Time went by, and it wasn't until after Hermione's stomach grumbled loudly in the quiet shop, when Remus snapped his book shut and smirked as he took her book away as well.

"Let's head to lunch before you starve, okay?" He said teasingly. Hermione stood up and elbowed him softly before following him out of the shop. They had agreed to meet their housemates for lunch in the Three Broomsticks, and as they entered the crowded pub they saw their friends already waiting for them at a table in the far corner.

They gave their orders to Madam Rosmerta and walked to the table where everyone, but Sirius sat. Hermione glanced around the pub and saw him at the counter, supposedly getting a new round of drinks. She pressed her lips together in disapproval as she saw him winking at group of not so young witches who were sitting on the stools of the bar, looking very pleased by his attention.

Hermione arched a brow at him when he came back, looking ever the picture of a womanizing ladies' man. He seemed pleasantly surprised by Hermione's arrival and smiled at her expression.

"Come on, kitten, it's nothing to be jealous about," He said cheerfully as he sat next to Hermione, dragging his chair close to her. "I just can't help that women find me irresistible," He said and waggled his brows at Hermione, who narrowed her eyes at him.

His grin widened and he was laughing now. "Now, don't get your knickers in a twist."

"You're an arse…" Hermione said to him, half-jokingly.

James sniggered on the other side of the table. "You only just noticed?" Mary, Alice and Lily laughed.

"Bugger off, Prongs," Sirius quipped and turned to Hermione.

"I apologise, my love," He said sincerely and took her hand, leaning down to kiss the back of it before gazing into her eyes. The others eyed his moves with a mild amusement, while Hermione gave him a wary look. "I apologise for all the women who gawk at me in the most indecent way," Sirius continued, a grin slowly creeping up on his face.

Hermione huffed, wrenched her hand away from his grasp and punched him on the shoulder while the others laughed.

Their lunch arrived, and everyone was quiet for a moment as they started eating.

"So, how long do you reckon you'll take those extra classes with Prewett?" James asked from Hermione while munching his chips.

Hermione frowned, contemplating for a moment what to say. "I don't know yet actually, it depends on how fast we can go through all the necessary material for the NEWTs," she eventually replied, taking a sip from her Butterbeer.

James nodded slowly, glancing between her and Sirius, a scrutinising look in his eyes.

"You reckon he's not asking you to stay after classes to come on to you?" Sirius said with an innocent expression, even though his voice had a hint of suspicion in it.

Hermione saw Lily rolling her eyes at him before she turned to Sirius and gave him a look of disbelief. "What? Why would you think that?"

Sirius's brows twitched and he cleared his throat. "Well, er…I just know how he was when he was still in school…" he said vaguely.

Hermione scoffed and gave him a pointed look. "Oh, so it takes one to know one?"

Sirius winced. James snorted into his Butterbeer, and the girls sniggered on the other end of the table. Remus and Peter were trying to suppress their grins.

"Nevertheless, I find it very hard to believe, that he'd do anything like that." She said incredulously. "He is a teacher, after all..."

Sirius inclined his head and gave her a slightly apologetic look, but said nothing more to the matter. After a moment of silence their group started talking about their other classes.

* * *

 **September 19th 1977 (Monday)**

Hermione was heading towards the Headmaster's office on Monday evening. Excluding the mealtimes at the Great Hall, she hadn't seen Dumbledore in two weeks, not after barging into his office to demand what exactly had he told Gideon about her. She could only assume the Headmaster had been busy with other, hopefully more important things.

As Hermione walked through the corridors, she recalled the previous day's events in her head. She had met Regulus in the library again, and he still hadn't uttered a word to her. He had just sat next to her and studied, and had occasionally given a furtive glance at her direction. She hadn't known what to think about it and had felt a bit uncomfortable around him, so she had left the library early and headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

 _Sirius was lounging on the couch with James sitting on the other end of it, while Remus and Peter were in the middle of a chess game near the fire. Even though the spacious room was packed and filled with noise, Sirius turned his head to see the portrait hole when she came through it, and immediately seemed to notice that something was bothering her. He stood up and approached her, frowning at her._

 _"What is it, kitten?" he asked quietly as she met him halfway the room._

 _Hermione bit her cheek and decided to tell him, but not in the middle of the common room, where everyone seemed to be idly spending their day off. "Can we talk? ...privately?" She asked, feeling disturbed._

 _"Yeah, of course. The guys are all down here so let's go to my dorm, ok?" He said and gave her a worried look before taking her hand and leading her towards the boys' dormitory._

 _"Guys, we'll take a quick stop to our dorm," he called to his roommates by the fire. Hermione gritted her teeth in annoyance. Now everyone was ogling them and thinking Merlin knows what…_

 _James grinned at his best mate slyly and turned his eyes to Hermione, "Remember, Hermione. If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas." He said, sniggering on the couch. Peter joined his laughter, while Remus glanced at his friends with a mildly amused expression._

 _Sirius gave James the two finger salute, muttering "bloody wanker," while walking towards the staircase with Hermione. She arched a brow at him before they started to walk up, but he merely shrugged at her._

 _"You do realise that you and James yelling things like that makes this look like we're here for…You know…?" Hermione asked pointedly, pursing her lips as they reached the top floor._

 _Sirius chuckled and stepped inside the dorm, with Hermione trailing behind him. He walked straight to his bed and sat down, waiting for her to start talking. She merely stared at him a bit hesitantly, wondering if she should sit next to him…on his bed…_

 _He arched his brows at her. "We can do that too if you'd like kitten, but first, tell me what's on your mind?" He said with an amused grin and gestured for her to sit down next to him._

 _Hermione huffed and sat on his bed. "You brother was in the library again." She said and Sirius tensed beside her, his expression turning dark._

 _"What did he want?" He demanded quietly._

 _"Well…He didn't do or say anything. I don't know for certain why he was there, but I just thought you should know." She said tentatively. "I mean, he's probably there because of what I said to him the other day, but what's with the silent treatment…?" She asked thoughtfully and sighed._

 _Sirius observed her aloofly. He cursed under his breath and tried to stand up but Hermione's hand stopped him._

 _"Let go, Hermione." He said warningly, looking at her with dark grey eyes that were lacking emotion._

 _Hermione held his stare defiantly and lifted her chin. "No. I know you'll just run to the dungeons to do something foolish you might regret later," she said sternly. She then tugged his hand. "Come here," she said, her voice now gentler, holding his gaze while moving further on his bed._

 _Sirius looked undecided. After a short moment, the cold look in his eyes flickered away, and was replaced by something between questioning and eagerness. Hermione was pleasantly surprised that he relented and moved towards her._

 _She lay down on the mattress and Sirius came to hover on top of her, a small frown between his brows as his eyes moved over her face. "I know you're distracting me on purpose," he muttered while her hands slid behind his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair._

 _"Is that so?" She whispered, her mouth curving a bit as she brought him closer, staring at his eyes nervously and leaning forward, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was slow and soft, as their lips explored each other._

 _"Mm-hmm," He hummed, and brought his hand to rest below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged lightly, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest._

 _After a while, they walked back to the common room, where the others were waiting for them to go to lunch together. James eyed at them with a knowing smirk and was about to say something before Sirius cut him off, "Sod off, Prongs." He took Hermione's hand and they left to the Great Hall._

As she neared the Headmaster's office her thoughts revolved around Sirius. What was she doing with him? What happened when – _if_ – she would leave this time to go back to her own time?

It had turned out quite difficult to be there and be around all these people and _not_ get involved with them. The last time she had talked with Dumbledore about her situation, he had said that he would try to gather information. She hoped that he would have some answers now, as her own research hadn't progressed much.

"Chocolate Frogs," She said to the gargoyle and it moved to the side, revealing a staircase which led to the Headmaster's office. As she reached to the top, she knocked softly on the door and opened it after hearing a quiet "Enter". She entered the large and beautiful circular room, and saw that McGonagall and Gideon were already sitting in front of Dumbledore's enormous, claw-footed desk. There was also a third person sitting next to Gideon. The man was identical to her Defence professor, although his hair was much shorter and messier. He stood up and walked to Hermione.

"I'm honoured to finally meet the lady to whom I'm in debt," He said and winked at her, while offering his hand for her to shake. "Fabian Prewett."

Hermione smiled. "Hermione Dumbledore. Nice to meet you too Mr. Prewett," she said while shaking his hand.

He chuckled, sounding exactly like his brother. "Call me Fabian." He said and Hermione nodded.

She was reminded of a certain pair of twins and the familiar sad feeling twisted her chest momentarily. She swallowed deeply. "Well then, call me Hermione." She said and Fabian nodded to her.

Dumbledore beamed from where he stood, and gestured for her to sit down next to Fabian in an armchair he had conjured. Hermione sat down and Dumbledore followed suit.

The Headmaster lay his hands on the desk, steepling his fingers as he eyed the group in front of him. "I believe Gideon and Fabian have some questions." The twins nodded at him.

Dumbledore continued speaking to the twins. "But first, in order for you to receive the answers to your questions, I have to ask you both to make a binding magical contract with me. You wouldn't be able to reveal any information you receive from Hermione today or later on to anyone but those who are in this room today." He explained while Hermione tensed slightly and sat up straight.

Dumbledore took a parchment from his drawer, waved his wand on it and turned it so that the brothers could read it. Both Prewetts looked over the contract and signed it without hesitation, as if there wasn't anything unusual in Dumbledore's request. Dumbledore seemed satisfied, clapped his hands and nodded to Hermione reassuringly. Hermione braced herself for whatever it was she was about to face.

"Well, I think I want to know how exactly you got the information about our mission." Fabian said, eyeing Hermione carefully.

"I'd like to know the truth about that as well," Gideon said slowly, and Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't really know how to start. _Gideon hadn't bought her story about the vision after all?_

Dumbledore watched them for a moment before he turned to Hermione. "I think it is best to start from the beginning, dear."

Hermione contemplated it before she spoke to the twins. "Um, I'm…not from here." she said, and the brothers gave her mildly perplexed looks.

"I think that's established already, Hermione." Gideon said, frowning at her.

"No, what I meant was that…I'm not from this… _time_." She said with a slight grimace. Gideon and Fabian gave her confused looks. Hermione took a deep breath.

"I came from the year 1998," She said simply.

Confusion in their expressions was replaced with shock and disbelief.

"What?" Gideon asked incredulously.

Hermione swallowed. "I'm from the future," She said and Gideon waved a hand in dismissal while Fabian let out a strangled laugh.

"Trust me I heard that..." Gideon said and stared at her suspiciously. "And you're saying that's not a load of codswallop?" He said, his eyes flickering to the Headmaster, who merely smiled at him.

Hermione sighed. "I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. I've been here less than two months..." She explained, chewing the inside of her cheek.

Gideon and Fabian turned to Dumbledore and McGonagall with dumbfounded looks, who both nodded back in acknowledgement.

"How is that even possible?" Fabian asked from Hermione, shaking his head slightly.

"Well…It was a Time-Turner. I didn't do it on purpose. I was only going to go back for a few hours, but I got hit by a spell, or, well, I suppose the Time-Turner was. I woke up in the Hospital wing, in Hogwarts, in 1977." She said quietly.

"Merlin…" Gideon whispered. "And you just happened to have a Time-Turner in your possession?" He said, giving her a slightly wary look.

"I…Might have stolen it, from, um…Dumbledore," She muttered quickly, glancing at the Headmaster with a sheepish look.

Fabian snorted, and Hermione could see Dumbledore's mouth curving up a bit.

"Why were you trying to turn back time?" Fabian asked curiously.

Hermione cleared her throat, the familiar tightness making its way there as she neared the subject of their capture. "Well…I was captured. And someone – a Death Eater - was torturing me." Hermione said and tried to push the horrible memory away.

Gideon's brows lifted. "A Death Eater? Voldemort and his Death Eaters are still active in 1998?" He asked, dread clear in his eyes.

Hermione nodded. "Voldemort was defeated in 1981, but resurrected in 1995." she said grimly.

Gideon and Fabian shared an inscrutable look.

"Who defeated him?" Gideon asked, eyeing Hermione closely. "Why didn't he die?"

"Well," She sighed wearily. "That's a long story." She said while glancing at Dumbledore and his sympathetic eyes.

She recounted the important bits of Voldemort's defeat and rebirth, including the information about the Prophecy and the Horcruxes. Dumbledore then asked both Prewetts to take some time to decide if they were willing to take part in their mission to destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. The twins left the Headmaster's office, both trapped in their thoughts while Hermione left towards the Gryffindor Tower after asking if Dumbledore had any news about her situation. He didn't.

* * *

 **September 25th, 1977 (Sunday)**

Hermione was going to the library, as she usually did on weekends. She'd had breakfast with Lily, James and Remus, while the other seventh years were still in their dorms, sleeping on their day off. Lily and James were having a meeting with the prefects, and Remus, being a prefect, was of course attending the same meeting. Apparently, amongst other things, they were going to discuss about the Halloween ball that was going to take place next month.

Hermione was heading to her usual table in the library corner, when the sight in front of her made her stop abruptly. Regulus was sitting there, at her table, again. He had sat there last Sunday as well, and he hadn't spoken to her yet. Hermione huffed in annoyance and decided that if he wanted to sit and study with her, he had better fess up about his intentions. The library _did_ have several vacant study spots available, after all.

She lifted her chin and marched to the corner. "Okay. What is going on in here?" Hermione said with a stern voice as she stood at the end of the table, opposite to where Regulus sat, his head bent over a school book.

Regulus lifted his eyes slowly from the book, until they locked with hers. He gave her a scrutinising look, and she had to supress the urge to look away.

"Studying?" He said plainly, not giving anything away with his blank expression.

"Oh...I – You – I mean," she stammered. _What the hell was it with these Black boys for making her stammer like a daft bint?_

She sighed and collected her thoughts. "What I meant to ask, Regulus, is why do you sit at my table? Or why do you sit next to me?" She asked and frowned at him in bewilderment.

He was still eyeing her, his gaze moving from her eyes down her body and back up, as if he was sizing her up. She shifted uncomfortably.

"I thought about what you said to me a few weeks back." He said quietly.

Hermione lifted her brows in surprise. "…And?" She said hesitantly.

"I'm considering it." He said simply, and turned his gaze back to his books, but not before he saw a small smile tugging at her lips. He frowned at his books, but said nothing more and didn't turn his eyes at her again. Hermione eventually sat down opposite to him and they studied in silence the rest of the morning.

When it was nearly lunch time, Hermione stood up from her chair, said her usual goodbyes to Regulus and started to head towards the library exit. Before she got out, Sirius barged in and grabbed her by her arms.

"Where is he?" He demanded quietly, looking over her shoulder.

Hermione placed her hands against his chest as a calming manner and said, "Sirius, don't. I don't think his intentions are bad-natured. Just –" She didn't have time to finish her sentence before he stormed off, taking quick strides towards her study corner where Regulus was still supposedly sitting. Hermione practically had to run to keep up with him.

"Stay the _fuck_ away from Hermione." Sirius snarled quietly at his brother as he reached the table, his eyes blazing at his brother.

Regulus merely arched a brow at him and looked him in the eye. "Nice to see you too, brother. How are things with the blood-traitors? I hope they do treat you well." He said icily, even though his expression was still indifferent.

Sirius gritted his teeth, "Oh you are one to talk, little arsehole. Hiding behind mummy's skirt and being her little puppet, aren't you?" Sirius jibed.

Regulus stood up slowly, his eyes now cold. Both of them were glaring at each other, their jaws clenched.

Hermione watched them with alarm and tried to calm the situation before they all got kicked out from the library, or either of them drew their wands out.

"Sirius. Let's just go, leave him be. Please, just…come with me," She said to him imploringly, taking a hold of his hand. His demeanour softened slightly from her touch.

Regulus collected his things from the table. "Did you ever stop to think, dear brother, that one of us had to live up to Mother and Father's expectations, so that you could have your merry little life, with your merry little friends in the Gryffindor Tower?" He hissed, and with that, he stormed off the library.

Sirius was breathing heavily and looking at the empty spot where his brother was sitting just moments ago, a deep frown between his brows. Hermione took his hand and laced their fingers. "Come here." She whispered to him and led him to lunch.

* * *

After lunch and Hermione shaking her head and mouthing "don't ask" to James, Remus and Peter, as to why Sirius was poking his food so sullenly the whole lunch hour, the girls, Remus and Peter went to watch the Gryffindor team Quidditch practice. It was actually quite a nice day, not warm enough to wear summer clothes anymore, but not cold either. The sky was clear, the sun was shining and it was a great day to spend some time outside. Even with the great weather and the fact that he was flying, Sirius still seemed to be in a sullen mood, and the practice wasn't going smoothly either.

"Come on, Pads, you are flying like shite today! Focus!" James yelled at him while he flew past Sirius.

Hermione cringed when Sirius shot a glare at his mate and growled, "Sod off!"

Remus was sitting next to Hermione, with Mary on his other side. Lily was seated on Hermione's other side, followed by Alice and Peter. Marlene had informed at lunch that she had much more pressing matters to do than to watch a mere practice.

Hermione observed the Quidditch stands around them and saw that there were also a handful of younger Gryffindors watching the practice, mainly girls who squealed moronically every time James threw the Quaffle through a goal hoop. Lily bristled when James actually winked at the girls, who of course swooned at him.

Remus eyed the display with amusement before he turned to talk to Hermione. "So what's got Pads so peeved up today? I mean, when we woke up, he was his normal grumpy self, but when you two came to lunch, he was practically seething with anger." He said quietly.

Hermione opened her mouth but faltered when she glanced at Sirius who was glaring daggers at them, flying not far from where they sat. _Damn that canine hearing_ , she thought briefly before she answered to Remus. "I was in the library and we ran into his brother...it didn't go so well." She said with a slight grimace. Remus nodded in understanding and said no more.

When the practice was over, Hermione and Sirius stayed behind as the others walked back to the castle and the rest of the Quidditch team went to their locker rooms for shower. Sirius still wore his training tracksuit, as he had skipped the shower. They sat in one of the empty stands, Sirius still quiet and contemplating about the encounter with his brother. Hermione sat next to him and did not speak, waiting for him to talk first.

Eventually Sirius let out a long sigh and took off the hair tie that was holding his black mane in a bun so that it didn't flap against his face while flying. He threaded his hands through his raven locks, letting them fall freely, the tips of his hair brushing his shoulders.

"You know, kitten...I haven't told you about what happened with my parents a few years back." He said while looking at her warily. "Do you know about my family? The kind of people they are?" He asked uneasily.

Hermione gave him a sad smile and took his hand. Of course she knew all about his family, but she couldn't say anything to him. But, she reckoned that perhaps she could have known some details through her 'father' and 'uncle'. "Yes, I know that some of them are dark wizards and witches, but I also know that you are nothing like them." She said reassuringly and gave his hand a squeeze.

He sighed again and nodded. "Long story short, I got sorted into Gryffindor and they didn't like it. I met some awesome people, who weren't like them, and they hated that. They tried to force me to be one of _his_ followers, but I had rather died than done that, so...that's what they supposedly tried to do after. First they tried to mark me without my consent, and then threaten me through Reggie... It didn't really go as they planned, and in the end, I was left alone, in a pretty bad shape," He said quietly, looking at the empty pitch.

Hermione's eyes widened with horror. She didn't notice she had tightened her grip on his hand, until he let out a wince. "Oh! Sirius I'm so sorry…" She hugged him close to her and kissed his temple affectionately. She was quite shocked. She thought she had had a fair idea about the events and the reasons why Sirius had run away from his home. But she hadn't expected this kind of revelation. The future-Sirius hadn't really spoken about his family or his life at Grimmauld Place, and certainly not in such detail.

"How did you get out of there?" Hermione whispered with concern in her voice, while brushing her thumb over his knuckles.

Sirius frowned for a moment before answering. "Reggie. He sent me to Potters. That little shit knows how to surprise me from time to time." He said with a hint of amusement and ran his hand through his hair again. "We didn't talk about it afterwards. We've been avoiding each other ever since..." He said and stared ahead, lost in his own thoughts.

Hermione felt bad for him, because Sirius clearly cared about his brother but it seemed that there were too many undealt issues between them, including the most obvious one, which was being on different sides of the upcoming war.

And for what she had gathered, Regulus too did care for his brother. She just wished he would choose to do the right thing and maybe the brothers would be able to reconcile after all this time. She wanted to comfort Sirius, to distract him from the exhausting thoughts that were mulling in his head concerning his brother.

She slowly brought her mouth close to his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent, her lips grazing the soft skin below his jaw. Sirius's breathing quickened and after a few moments, he let out a frustrated growl and dragged her onto his lap, to straddle him. He pulled her closer to him, crushing his lips against hers, making them both breathless. Their kisses quickly became passionate, their tongues dancing and flexing around each other, urging one another.

Sirius let out a soft groan and grabbed her behind with a tight grip, dragging his mouth against her neck, his lips, teeth and tongue hot against her skin. Warm shivers coursed through her and as Hermione whimpered and arched towards him, Sirius swallowed the sounds from her mouth, kissing her fiercely. It was rushed, exciting, and intense; both of them lost into each other, not caring one bit about anything other than the pleasure their actions caused. Her hand worked its way down his chest and then with a bit more hesitance against the bulge in his pants, while her other hand was busy tangling into his silky black locks.

" _Fuck_ ," Sirius breathed and thrusted into her hand as she slowly traced him through his pants. "Can you feel what you are doing to me, kitten?" He groaned when she kissed him again, vowing to make her moan as well, and succeeding when he caressed her rear with his both hands.

Soon his hands were sneaking under her sweater on her back, moving to her sides and going upward, drawing patterns on her skin as they went. She tensed slightly when he brushed the underside of her breasts with his fingers. It felt _so_ good. She arched against his hands when his thumbs moved upwards and brushed over her hardened nipples through her bra.

"I like the sound of that." He said hoarsely, dipping his index finger into the cup of her bra and gently yanking it down, freeing her breast. He repeated the process to her other breast. Though she still had her sweater on and covering her mostly, Hermione felt the peaks of her breasts harden under the exposure to the outside air. Or, perhaps it was from his touch. He continued caressing her while licking into her mouth slowly, desperately. Their movements became hurried and needy, and soon she could only focus on the pleasurable thrill he made her feel.

Hermione panted against Sirius's lips, her hand squeezing him lightly though his slacks, wanting nothing more than to rip their clothes off and let him have her right there at the Quidditch stands. Sirius trembled and broke their kiss with a breathless groan, dropping his forehead against her neck, breathing heavily.

"Hermione, I…we need to stop…" He gasped, his hot breath puffing against her skin. He then carefully tugged her bra back in place, smoothed his hands down inside her sweater and pulled it down properly. She was still short of breath and flustered of the pent-up arousal, as was he, but she was grateful that they'd stopped before someone saw them.

Sirius lifted his head and looked at her with an adoring smile on his lips. He leaned close to her and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. "Did I go too far?" He asked worriedly, giving her a sincere look, that made her heart swell with feeling.

"No, it was okay. More than okay actually," she said honestly and gave him a warm smile. He kissed her again, sweetly, passionately, before standing up and lifting her along with him.

* * *

 **September 28th 1977 (Wednesday)**

It was the day after the full moon, and the Marauders were missing from classes. Hermione knew exactly why, since Remus was in the infirmary, and the rest of them were probably sleeping at their dorm, after frolicking in the forest in animal forms the previous night. She pondered whether she should visit Remus in the hospital wing after classes, before making a mental note to research about the Wolfsbane potion, and whether it was possible for her to brew it or to buy it somewhere.

They were having a double Potions class, and she was still Snape's partner. Hermione had asked Lily about the dark haired Slytherin a couple days ago, and Lily had told her that they'd been friends for a long time, until one day they no longer weren't. He had decided to follow the dark path, where she could not and would not follow him and their ways had separated.

 _"I still don't understand it, Hermione. We were best friends, after all...how could he do that to me? How can he despise everything I am?" Lily said sadly, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. They were sitting on her bed, alone in their dorm, while the other girls were downstairs in the common room._

 _Hermione tried to console her friend and make her see some sense in the situation, "Have you thought that maybe he didn't have any choice? What he did was wrong, but what if he isn't as strong as you are? Maybe he regrets his decisions? Have you given him a chance to explain himself?" She asked hesitantly._

 _Lily shook her head. "No…I haven't. We haven't talked since the day he, along with his friends called me a Mudblood. And those friends by the way are all probably HIS followers by now," She said darkly._

 _"Lily...I have to tell you something," Hermione said watched her friend seriously. She recounted the discussion between Regulus and Severus in the library some weeks ago, as well as her short conversation with Regulus last Sunday. Lily gaped at her._

 _"You really think they are going along with it only for appearance? That they do not wish it?" Lily asked and sighed, looking overwhelmed._

 _Hermione stared at the bedspread between them, a deep frown between her brows. "I don't know…"_

They did not speak another word on the matter, as Hermione was letting Lily make up her mind about it, and also because she still wasn't sure what the deal with Regulus was. If he would be switching sides, so to speak, then maybe Snape might be willing to do that too? She had noticed that the younger Black spent much of his time with Snape… So maybe it was possible to reach out to Snape through Regulus?

"Your head is in the clouds again, Dumbledore." Snape hissed at her from her side. "Try to focus and not to screw this up, will you?" He snapped and snatched her hand away so she couldn't put the wrong ingredient into their brew.

Hermione jumped slightly. "Oh, sorry, I just...I'll focus." She gave him an apologetic smile and his features softened a bit as he studied her. Then he cleared his throat.

"So where is the idiotic boyfriend of yours and his merry band of misfits?" He grumbled quietly and turned a page from their textbook to follow the potion recipe.

Hermione pursed her lips at him and gave him a bored look. "You are not winning any points here, Snape, when insulting the people I care about," she muttered.

"And just what makes you think I want to win any points? That I would care about what you want or think?" He grunted without looking at her.

"I think you do. You want to reconcile with Lily and it might be possible through me. I've seen the way you look at her. But of course, it depends on the circumstances. On your motives." She said pointedly, her gaze flickering to his left arm.

He flinched and stared at her, his eyes turning dark. "What do you know?" He asked coldly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered quietly, "I know enough. I know you are not marked yet."

Snape's jaw twitched.

"And I know you have spoken with Regulus. So the same thing I said to him, applies to you too. You always have a choice, Severus. Remember that." She whispered and watched him gravely for a moment, before moving her focus on their brew.

He didn't say anything for the rest of the class, but as she left the dungeons, he suddenly grabbed her hand and led her to an empty classroom unnoticed.

"What are you – "

"What are your intentions with Regulus?" Snape demanded and his stare bore right through her.

Hermione was gobsmacked of what just happened, and what he'd said. _What is it with these Slytherins, demanding about her intentions?_

"It isn't your concern, Snape." She snapped and began to move to the door, but he stepped in her way.

"Move. Aside." She gritted through her teeth. A small panic was rising inside her.

"Sev. Let her go," Regulus said quietly from the door. He closed it behind him and went to stand in front of Snape, facing him. "Don't interfere." Regulus said quietly.

Hermione was mildly frightened - she was in the dungeons with two Slytherins, both of whom were thinking about joining Voldemort, and they were in a middle of a staring contest. Hermione inched her wand out of her pocket.

"Now you made her draw a wand on us," Regulus said with amusement as he turned to look at Hermione. His lips were curving into a small smirk.

Hermione gripped her wand tighter in her palm and lifted her chin. "Well, you never know what to expect from a couple of snakes."

Regulus huffed a laugh while Snape merely rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, can I talk to you for a moment?" Regulus asked her and frowned slightly. He nodded to Snape who left the room without a word.

Hermione still held her wand pointed at Regulus and studied him closely. "What do you want to talk about?" She asked suspiciously.

He sighed, took his own wand, and as Hermione's eyes widened with dread, he handed it to her. "Take it. I mean you no harm." He said with a sincere expression.

She hesitantly took the wand from him and eyed him with puzzlement. He licked his lips and gave her an intense stare.

"I want to defect."


	12. The Comet

**A/N:** A couple of things... I've edited a bit the previous chapters, nothing much, and i'll try to stay away from them from now on ;) I noticed that some of your reviews are only now showing up, even though I've had notifications about them days ago... Some Sirimione fluff for you guys! And for Regmione shippers, I'll say...patience ;) ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Comet**

 **September 30th 1977 (Friday night)**

"Listen up class, tonight we will all examine a comet passing the earth, and as we have an abnormally large group of sixth and seventh years, I will divide you into two groups and in those groups, you will pair up. Others will be at the courtyards examining the comet with bare eyes, while others will be situated here, at the Astronomy Tower examining it through telescopes." Professor Moonshine explained to the seventh- and sixth-year NEWT students at the beginning of their Astronomy lesson.

"From September 29th to 30th, that is yesterday and today, the comet will make a once-in-a-lifetime pass by Earth at a distance of around 70 million kilometres. It has a fourth magnitude brightness - so it means that it will be easily visible in the dark sky without the need of a telescope. But even though the comet is visible to the naked eye..."

Sirius, James and a few others were _of course_ sniggering, "...it looks even better through a telescope, so the reason of dividing the class is to have different aspects of the comet." The Professor explained, not giving any attention to the noise the boys were making, "So bear with me, I understand some of you are bummed out because your lesson is usually on Thursday evening, but now on Friday night instead, and therefore you miss your possible weekend pursuit. But I assure you, that it is worth it. Luckily, the comet will be passing near the Canis Major, the Great Dog constellation, which makes it relatively easy to find." He continued.

"Hey Prongs, want to hear a good one?" Sirius whispered, smirking behind James. James turned his head slightly to him so he could see Sirius from the corner of his eye, still sitting towards the Professor so Lily, who was next to him, wouldn't scold him for not listening to the Professor.

"Why didn't the Dog Star laugh at the joke?" Sirius asked quietly, still smirking. "…It was too Sirius." He grinned when he heard James snort and saw Hermione roll her eyes next to him.

It was their usual behaviour at the Astronomy lessons - or so Hermione had concluded during her short time in this era. Sirius enjoyed making puns with his name and Astronomy was an optimal subject for that. Hermione often wondered if the only reason he had even chosen the subject in his sixth year was the opportunity to make bad jokes. Hermione reckoned that James probably took the class because Lily was there, since he didn't seem that interested in the course either. Though he had taken NEWT Astronomy even though he was with another girl last year so maybe he was into it, but still, Hermione doubted it.

Sirius nudged Hermione and smiled at her. "Want to go to watch the comet with _naked_ eye with me?" He asked playfully, grinning at her. Hermione gave him a faintly amused look and shook her head at him, nudging her head towards the Professor.

"... it takes around 14,000 years for this comet to orbit the Sun, which means that none of us are going to live long enough to see this comet pass by again. Now, divide into pairs, and come to me after that, and I'll hand you your assignments..."

Hermione was paired with Sirius, while Lily paired with James. The Head students had been in friendly terms for a while now, clearly getting over the events in the start of term –party. Also, they had shared their Heads duties from the start of term and had been forced to spend time together, so Hermione assumed that that had helped matters as well. She silently hoped that their relationship was at last developing to beyond a friendly state and smiled at the thought that Harry's parents would soon be together. Thinking of Harry made her feel a small pang of longing and sadness in her chest, but the feeling was quickly dismissed as Sirius took her hand and brushed her knuckles with his thumb.

Sirius eyed her closely. "You okay, kitten?" He asked quietly, a small crease in his brow.

"Oh...yes, I am. Let's go and get our assignments, okay?" Hermione replied with a tight smile and left towards the front of their class. Sirius followed her, still holding her hand.

Eventually it was Lily and James who headed to the courtyards to watch the comet without their telescopes, along with couple of other pairs, while Hermione stayed at the Astronomy Tower with Sirius and the other half of the class. She suspected that Professor Moonshine had separated James and Sirius on purpose to create at least some sort of peace in his class.

They chose a nice spot to examine the comet with their telescopes and made some notes for their assignment before adjusting their devices.

"Um...I was hoping that we could have a moment alone after class?" Hermione asked, turning towards him.

She had wanted to talk to Sirius about the incident with Regulus and Snape for a few days now, but on Wednesday, Sirius had barely been out of his dorm, given that he was recovering from staying up all night on full moon and when he did come out, he'd gone to the infirmary to check on Remus.

Yesterday it was Hermione spending time in the infirmary, giving Remus copies of her notes from DADA and Charms, as well as a large bar of Honeyduke's chocolate. Remus had tried to explain his visit at the hospital wing again as some lame illness but Hermione chose not to say anything to him, yet. Later, when she had returned to the common room, Sirius and James were in a re-scheduled Quidditch practice, since James had postponed the practice that would have been on Wednesday. This was the first moment they actually had some time to spend together, and even now they were in the middle of a class.

"I knew you'd want to, eventually," he said, grinning at her cheekily.

"Oh! I mean, to talk! Nothing, er, heavier than that." She stammered embarrassedly. Sirius laughed quietly when he saw her discomfort.

"Sure, whatever you say," He smiled at her knowingly.

She let out an affronted sigh, "Cocky much?"

"Very much." He replied smugly with a suggestive smirk, while his eyes went dark as they swept over her.

"Don't look at me like that," Hermione said quietly, glancing around them.

Sirius lifted his brows. "Like what?" He murmured innocently, while looking her up and down. Hermione felt her cheeks heating and she averted her eyes from his.

"Like you're going to have a feast," she said with an arched brow.

He laughed and moved to stand behind her, as if adjusting her telescope to the right angle while setting his other hand to her hip. She tensed slightly, his touch heating the skin under her clothes.

"Why, Hermione," he purred to her ear, "Would you assume I'd look at you in any different way?" He murmured, making her shiver as his dark and smooth voice rumbled in her ear.

"When the only thing I can think of, is your scent. And the way you taste and feel against my lips," He spoke softly, his mouth hovering over her neck, not kissing, despite how badly she wanted him to, despite the other students not so far away from them examining the comet, as his fingertips trailed up and down her sides.

She took a deep breath. _Merlin, he was good at this…_

Then his lips brushed the skin on her neck, and a small, barely audible whimper escaped from her.

"Would you like to go somewhere private now, kitten? Maybe we could continue from where we left things when we were at the stands?" Sirius whispered to her ear sweetly. _Damn him_. He felt so good and strong behind her, so tempting that she had to fight against the urge to turn around and snog him senseless.

After few calming breaths she spoke to him, her voice still wavering.

"That might make the other girls here at school swoon at your feet, but I'm not going to fall for your charm just yet, Black. The comet's actually that way." She turned her head slightly to look at him unaffectedly and pointed to their telescopes.

Sirius laughed. "Dear Hermione, you wound me," he said with a mock hurt voice, pouting at her. Hermione bit her lip to suppress a smile and returned to her telescope.

They observed the comet, making random notes and had a casual conversation regarding both their assignment and how extraordinary it was to have witnessed something so rare. Hermione was somewhat impressed that he truly was a smart student when he put some effort in his studies, and the conversation had flowed easily between them.

When the class was over, the students were trusted to leave the Astronomy tower by themselves, even if it was after curfew. Usually their Astronomy classes ended well before the curfew, but because of the comet, their professor had changed the schedule in order to fit most of his classes to Thursday and Friday evenings.

After James and Lily joined Hermione and Sirius to collect their belongings and walk towards the Gryffindor tower together, Sirius informed the Head students that they could go without them, since he and Hermione had something to talk about. James merely shrugged, and Lily gave her friend a knowing smile before they left the pair in the corridor below the Astronomy tower.

They walked in silence for a moment in the empty and dark hallway.

"Sirius," She said cautiously. "I have to tell you something."

He looked at her with a somewhat alarmed expression, his brows furrowed.

"Okay, kitten, is this going to be a habit of yours, you know, giving me bad news?" He asked slowly, referring to the previous time they had had a serious conversation about his brother. He then gave her a smirk, "Although, I might be able to bear it if I can kiss you afterwards," he said quietly.

"Be serio...Ugh!" She huffed exasperatedly as Sirius's eyes lit up with mischief.

A second later he became sombre and took her hand. "Okay, kitten, you have my full attention," he said with a smouldering smile.

Hermione gave him a wary look before she spoke. "Well…I met your brother...again...and he wants to meet you..." she said gingerly, taking note how Sirius expression turned angry and confused.

"You know I said to him that he had a choice. Well…I think he is going to make that choice now..." Hermione gave him a careful smile. She could see a hint of hope cross his eyes.

"Fuck," he breathed. He was silent for a long while, letting the information settle in. "I don't know what to say, kitten…That's good, I guess? I mean, he's still a little prick for taking this long to make the decision, but…I think…I think I'm willing to look past that. If his intentions are true and he really is on the right path." He said sensibly.

Hermione nodded as they walked up the stairs towards the portrait in Gryffindor tower. "He did seem to be sincere." She said as she eyed his expression.

"When did you speak with Reggie?" Sirius asked with a frown.

"Wednesday, after Potions class. You know how he's been coming to the library to sit next to me, never talking about anything and then suddenly last Sunday he said he's considering what I said to him? That he's considering making the right choice. You know, when you barged in there and told him to bugger off?" She said and smiled at him when he gave her a sheepish look.

"Maybe he was just gathering his courage, or something." She shrugged and chewed the corner of her mouth in thought.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "The git better not have a thing for you, kitten," he said jokingly.

Hermione scowled at him and entered through the portrait hole after giving the fat lady the password.

Sirius followed her in and then he took her hand and pulled her against him. "You know, I love it how I can make you angry," he murmured.

Hermione huffed. "I'm not angry…I'm annoyed," She said simply, glancing around the empty common room.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, embracing her tightly. Her whole body felt hot as he rested his forehead against hers. Their bodies were pressed so closely together that it felt almost unbearable. He slowly backed her towards one of the couches near the fireplace, where only glowing embers remained.

"You got this burning look in your eyes when you're provoked…Your hair becomes a wild mess and almost crackles with electricity..." he said quietly, leaning her against the back of the couch. His lips ghosted down her temple to her cheek, and further down, his hot breath trailing slowly along the angle of her jaw. Hermione bit her lip to suppress a whimper.

"And have I mentioned your lips…?" He murmured, and he kissed her softly. It was similar to their first kiss some weeks ago. One of his hands left her waist to cup her cheek, and he lightly kissed the corner of her mouth. This time she let out a breathy sigh.

"…They taste like heaven." He whispered, before his lips pressed against hers again, this time harder, more demanding. Her hands found their way around his neck, and she pulled him closer to her, drawing a low rumbling sound from his throat.

He pushed her firmly against the back of the couch, his leg sneaking between hers, nudging them, helping him to stand between her legs. Her breath was coming in gasps as he devoured her mouth, his fingers moving under her shirt, skimming her lower abdomen, and making her shudder against him. His touch was burning her, making her want to melt into him. He caressed her skin with his thumbs, making the warmth spread throughout her body, making something delicious to flutter deep in her belly.

His mouth found the soft skin of her jaw and neck, gently nipping the tender skin under her earlobe, and swiping his tongue against the spot. Hermione moaned inaudibly, her grip against his neck tightening.

"Say you're mine, kitten," he whispered against her neck. "I want everyone to know that you belong to me." He said and backed away a bit, locking his gaze with hers. She could see a hint of vulnerability in his dark grey eyes.

Hermione shivered to his words and worried her lip before she spoke. "I…I'm yours, Sirius." She whispered, holding his gaze, feeling nervous, feeling eager, and feeling the same hunger that lingered in his eyes.

Sirius's mouth curved into a grin, before he leaned back to kiss her lips lightly. Hermione run her hands up his neck, tangling her fingers into his wild black locks. Sirius shuddered at her touch, crushing his mouth over hers again in a hard, hot kiss.

When the last embers of the fire had gone out, they reluctantly pulled away from each other, resting their foreheads together while trying to even their breaths.

"What now?" Sirius spoke after a short silence, his hands resting on her hips.

Hermione bit her lip and stared in his eyes. "We go to sleep," Hermione whispered.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah…Come with me?" He asked, eyeing her carefully.

Hermione contemplated her answer. She _really_ wanted to, but what was he expecting from her?

He seemed to understand her line of thought. "Hey…I just want to hold you when I fall asleep. We don't have to do anything more than that," He murmured, his thumb caressing her cheek.

She gave him a small smile. "Okay."

As they reached the seventh-year boys' dormitory, Sirius opened the door to peek in. Remus and Peter were asleep, but James was still awake, sitting on his bed, wearing his pyjamas and reading a Quidditch magazine with his wand tucked behind his ear, shedding a small reading over him. James locked his eyes with Sirius after he noticed him in the doorway and laughed quietly as he saw the sheepish look his friend had.

James gave his friend a knowing look and sighed, ruffling his hair before he spoke, "By all means, mate, but just make sure you close the curtains and use a silencing charm so we don't have to suffer from your nightly activities."

Sirius shook his head with amusement while opening the door wider for Hermione to step in. He headed towards his bed which was opposite to James's and said to a smirking James, "Sure, mate."

Hermione followed Sirius in and glared at James, "James Potter, if you think for one second that I am one of those conquests of the amazing womaniser Sirius Black, you are certainly wrong!" She hissed quietly to him, "I'm just here for sleeping. Good night!" She huffed, went to sit down on Sirius's bed and flicked her wand to get the curtains closed. Sirius just stood outside of his bed, a shocked look on his face as he stared at the spot from where Hermione had vanished.

James sniggered quietly. "Don't they all say that," he muttered under his breath.

Sirius narrowed his eyes to James before he went to the bathroom to perform his evening grooming routine. When he came back to the dormitory, the lights were out and James was snoring, his leg hanging out from the bed. Sirius slipped into his own bed between the curtains and lay down facing Hermione, who was curled on her side, fast asleep. She had a small frown between her brows and her lips were slightly parted as she took shallow breaths in her sleep. Sirius smiled and brushed his lips gently against hers, pulling her closer before draping the comforter over them.

"Sirius?" Hermione mumbled sleepily, as if checking it was him.

"Yeah, kitten, I'm here."

She let out a peaceful sigh and snuggled against him, her hands flat against his chest, and her legs tangling with his. Sirius drifted quickly to sleep as well.

* * *

 **October 1st 1977 (Saturday)**

As the morning sun started to glimmer between the curtains around the bed, Hermione woke up feeling well rested. She was a little confused as she took in her surroundings, but then remembered that she was actually in Sirius's bed, and the boy himself was behind her, hugging her close to him as he slept, his head buried in the curls on her neck.

Her stomach jolted pleasantly as she thought about their intimate positioning. Feeling content, she yawned and stretched herself, and then heard Sirius groan silently behind her.

"Kitten, please don't..." he breathed to her neck.

Hermione frowned and turned her body slightly towards him while looking at him, feeling puzzled. "Don't what, exactly?"

The movement she made when turning halfway to him made him take in another sharp breath. "I mean, love, that if you don't want to sort out my morning glory, I'll suggest you stop the not so innocent brushing," he murmured with sleepy eyes and a beguiling smile.

Hermione felt her face turning red and she rose quickly up into a sitting position, pulling the comforter along with her. Her lips parted and the flush creeped down to her neck as her eyes flickered over his body, stopping at the bulging tent in his pyjama bottoms that hung low on his hips, displaying a dusting of black hair that trailed a path beneath the waistband.

Sirius smirked at her. "Want to have a shower with me?" He asked and gave her an intense gaze.

Hermione cleared her dry throat and tried to will her skin back to its normal colour. "N-No, thanks, I…I'll manage." She stammered and licked her lips nervously, looking anywhere but him.

"Kitten, I'm just taking the piss out of you." Sirius chuckled and took her hand. "No need to run for the hills, love." He smiled at her hesitation and tugged her closer again. She lay down next to him, eyeing him warily.

"I just want to hold you," he muttered and brought her closer, his other hand sneaking up to her neck, his fingers tangling in her curly mane. "And you can tell me when you are ready for more, okay?" He said softly, as he pulled her closer to him and kissed her lightly on her lips. Hermione brought her hands up to rest against his chest as they kissed gently, leisurely tasting each other.

"I should go...you know, before the others wake up." She whispered against his lips and stood up slowly, this time taking a long look over his body. Her eyes swept over his bare, sculpted chest and well-defined abs and she admired the magically inked tattoos he had on both his shoulders and at the right side of his ribs.

"Enjoying the view?" Sirius said with a teasing smile.

 _Well…who wouldn't?_ She thought briefly, and rolled her eyes inwardly before biting back a smile and leaning back to press a final kiss against his lips. She left hastily from the dorm and dashed to the stairway.

Sirius let out a quiet laugh and stood up to go to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

What Hermione and Sirius both had missed, was that the others weren't exactly asleep. At least not all of them.

"Good morning, Pads." Remus greeted as the door to their dormitory had closed.

Sirius turned to look at Remus, who was reading a book in his bed, his hangings now open.

"Morning." Sirius said, grinning brightly. "So Moony…I hate to say I told you so, but...no, actually I love it, who am I kidding," He chuckled. "I told you so, mate." His smugness had no limit as he pranced towards the bathroom. "I guess every dog has its day." Sirius quipped with a playful grin.

"Pads. Hold on for a moment."

Sirius turned to Remus and lifted his brows in question.

"You had sex with her?"

Sirius frowned. "Er, no. But I had her in my bed," he said matter-of-factly.

"As I remember, the bet was about having sex in your bed, as you said, and I quote, 'Like I ever would take a bird to my bed just for sleeping', so…I think I'll be collecting this time, mate." Remus smirked at his friend.

Sirius was peeved but paid his losses while James and Remus sniggered in their respective beds, waking up Peter who watched the scene in confusion. When Sirius returned from the shower and put on his clothes, he reckoned that in the end, the bet didn't matter. _She was his witch now._

* * *

 **October 2nd 1977 (Sunday)**

"Sirius. Hermione," Regulus stated, snapping his book shut as the couple closed the door and walked towards him. They were meeting in an unused classroom on the fourth floor, to discuss about Regulus's possible defection.

Hermione gave Regulus a nod in greeting, while Sirius eyed his brother silently before he spoke. "Reggie."

Sirius was still unsure of his brother and his motives and had his doubts on where this encounter would lead. That was why he had asked Hermione to join them.

Regulus licked his lips and cleared his throat. "How are you?" He asked politely, his expression blank as usual.

Sirius was slightly surprised, but schooled his expression a moment later. If Regulus could be courteous, he could be as well, Sirius thought. "I'm...well, thanks. The Potter residence is spacious and I'm treated like an actual human there. And…I'm getting my own flat during Christmas hols."

Regulus merely inclined his head and then there was an awkward silence. Hermione cleared her throat. Sirius realised it was his turn to ask the questions. "How, uh, are you?" He asked from Regulus.

Regulus gave him a thin smile. Apparently understanding how the conversation would go – carefully and avoiding the main topic as long as possible. "I'm alright, thanks. Summer was boring. Mother had several dinner parties; she's trying to marry me off, I think. Your name was never spoken. Father's still drinking."

"Hmm." Sirius tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. He really did not give a spare thought to his parents, but his brother had been important to him, even though they hadn't been in speaking terms for a while.

His younger brother continued the conversation, "I like school this year. The classes are interesting. And so are some of the new additions..." He trailed and glanced at Hermione, his eyes flashing with mischief. Hermione frowned and looked away.

"Watch it, wanker. It's my girlfriend you are drooling over." Sirius warned, but then cracked a smile. Regulus's lips curved upwards.

Hermione was a bit overwhelmed by how they looked so much alike, especially now when Regulus was a little more loosened up.

"So what NEWTs are you taking?" Regulus asked after a short silence.

Sirius frowned and looked at the ceiling for a moment. "Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy," He replied, starting to enjoy the conversation, even though it was unessential small talk.

"Astronomy? Really, Sirius?" Regulus snorted while Sirius grinned.

Sirius knew what his brother was thinking. They already knew everything there was to know about the stars, constellations, galaxies and other celestial objects that were the main topics in their Astronomy class, since they were taught the subject before attending school.

"So…you're going to be an Auror?" Regulus continued with an amused smile. "How predictable."

Sirius smirked at the truth of it. "Yeah...I guess so. What about you? Mother pushing you to be a stuck-up Ministry ponce?"

Regulus lips twitched. "Something like that. Thinks I've got what it takes to take over the Justice branch at the Ministry, but she really can't wait for me to join..." He suddenly died off and the atmosphere went suddenly tense.

Sirius's voice was toneless. "Aaand we're right on the issue."

Regulus frowned. "Yes," he said and then glanced at Hermione. She nodded him reassuringly. Regulus turned back to his brother. "I don't want to join them, Sirius," he said quietly.

"Reggie," Sirius muttered. "Reg...you don't have to do anything you don't want to." He said wearily.

"It's not that easy. I have to go to live with our parents and they'd kill me if they knew that I'm even discussing this with you." Regulus snapped and sighed. " _He_ already requested a meeting. I cannot not go. He'll kill me if I don't show up. He'd kill our parents too."

Sirius clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes. I know." There was a long moment of silence. Neither seemed willing to break it.

"Maybe we can figure it out…together..." Sirius said hesitantly while giving his brother a scrutinising look.

Regulus gave him a small sincere smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"You'll have to take Veritaserum to prove you are for real though, you know?" Sirius said, knowing there was a hint of concern in his voice.

"I wouldn't expect anything less, big brother."

Hermione had watched the brothers silently from the sides and just then she let out a deep sigh of relief. Both brothers turned to smirk at her with identical expressions. She rolled her eyes inwardly and pursed her lips at them.

They agreed that Hermione would talk with the Headmaster about Regulus and his plans, and the possibility to place him as a spy amongst Voldemort's troops. Then Regulus was to take the Veritaserum with Dumbledore, and if proven honest, he would be part of the Order.

Hermione promised to keep Regulus informed before she headed towards the door with Sirius.

"Sirius?"

"Reggie?" Sirius turned and lifted his brows.

"It was, uh, good to talk with you." Regulus said slowly.

Sirius smiled. "Yeah. It was...nice."

Regulus's mouth curved into a smile. "Alright. See you around...big brother."

"You too, little brother."


	13. Confessions

**A/N:** Thank you for reading!

About the bet...well, Hermione will find out eventually, but soooo much will happen before that!

Please review :)

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Confessions**

 **October 3rd 1977 (Monday)**

Hermione had sent a note to the Headmaster about a development in their mission, after she and Sirius had met with Regulus and talked about his defection. Dumbledore had asked her to meet him in his office on Monday evening, after dinner. As she entered through the door to his office, McGonagall and the Headmaster were already waiting for her.

"Good evening, Hermione," Dumbledore said, surveying her over his half-moon spectacles. He was wearing a light blue set of robes, the same colour as his eyes.

"I trust you have some news you would like to share with us?" He said and gestured for her to sit down in an armchair facing his desk, next to McGonagall, who smiled and nodded at Hermione in greeting. Hermione sat down and compiled her thoughts.

"It's Regulus…He met me after classes the other day and told me he wants to defect." She said, looking carefully at the professors. Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement, his brows lifting slightly in surprise.

"Well done, Hermione. This truly is a pleasant progress on our quest," he said and smiled brightly.

Hermione nodded. "Well, yes. But I reckon I didn't do much. I mean, I only said a couple of things to him. I believe he has wanted this for a while now, and I've merely given him an excuse…" Hermione trailed off thoughtfully.

"Nevertheless, it is a great progress, Hermione." McGonagall said, beaming at her.

"Indeed." Dumbledore said with a smile and waited for Hermione to continue.

"So…Regulus wanted to meet Sirius. And they met yesterday. I was with them, and Regulus told that Voldemort has already requested a meeting with him, and that he can't back out from it. He told us that he doesn't want to join Voldemort, but he thinks he has to, in order to keep his family safe…" She explained, while Dumbledore studied her, humming quietly.

"Then he should meet him," Dumbledore said simply.

"What do you mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked sharply, her brows furrowed. Hermione watched Dumbledore cautiously.

Dumbledore sighed and adjusted his half-moon spectacles. "It will be dangerous, but if he is willing, the Order could benefit from him being a spy. _We_ could benefit from it," He said pointedly. Hermione frowned but gave a hesitant nod of agreement. She didn't like the idea, even though they had discussed it with Regulus and Sirius. It was risky, even with Regulus's Occlumency skills, as they all knew how powerful the Dark Lord was. But they needed Regulus's help with the Horcruxes, and they needed him to be in Voldemort's good graces in order to acquire them.

"And if Regulus agrees to what we are about to ask him to do, would you be his contact in the Order?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing Hermione with a searching look.

"His contact?" Hermione repeated in confusion.

"We cannot include him in the meetings, so he has to have a contact inside the Order. If Voldemort searches his mind with Legilimency, he will try to focus on finding information about the Order meetings and myself. That is the reason someone else has to be in communication with him." He clarified.

Hermione contemplated it for a moment before she inclined her head, knowing it was a reasonable request. "Sure, of course."

Dumbledore smiled briefly. "Excellent. Young Mr. Black may expose himself into great danger, and we will be grateful to him for his actions," he said gravely.

"Now, I shall meet with Regulus, and I will let you know what we agree on," Dumbledore said and clapped his hands. "Should we move on to other equally pressing matters?" He asked and both McGonagall and Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"I received a letter from the Prewetts regarding their agreement to join us. They will be joining our meetings from now on, as well as our sessions in training to master the Fiendfyre curse." He said, looking pleased of the proceeding of matters.

"When do we start the training? And where? We can hardly practice such a horrible curse inside the castle?" McGonagall asked, giving the Headmaster a sceptical look.

Dumbledore considered his answer for a moment. "I might have a solution for that," He said obscurely. "I will have to examine the possibility first. I will notify you about the time and place when I have more information," he said, beaming at the women.

After a short silence, McGonagall spoke again. "If that was all, I will retreat to my quarters. Goodnight, Albus. Hermione." She nodded to them both, stood up and walked to the fireplace to floo away.

"Um…Sir…?" Hermione asked carefully, after McGonagall had left through the fireplace.

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you have any new information about my situation?" She asked, bracing herself for the answer, whatever it was going to be. They hadn't really had the time to talk about her situation the last time she had met him, with Gideon and Fabian being there as well. The past month had gone so quickly, that she felt slightly guilty for not talking sooner with the Headmaster.

Dumbledore eyed her with an unreadable expression before he crossed his fingers on the table and spoke. "I have received some information regarding the circumstances of your arrival to this time."

Hermione sat straighter in her chair and waited anxiously for him to continue.

"I have consulted an associate of mine who is working with Time Magic at the Ministry." He said, looking at her solemnly, the twinkle in his eyes missing. Dread shivered down her spine.

"You spoke with an Unspeakable? What did they say?" She asked with haste and worried her lip in anticipation.

"I am afraid there is no way to send you back to your old life, that they know of. They believe that your arrival has in fact created an alternate timeline. They also believe that if you had merely travelled back in time, you either would have ceased to exist, or you couldn't have changed anything in the past, because it has already happened," He explained carefully, while she stared back with a blank look.

"The fact that we strongly believe you _have_ managed to change something, indicates that you must have travelled into another timeline. I'm now quite certain of it, and my associate in the Ministry agrees to this presumption. I am sorry, dear." He said with a compassionate smile.

Her shoulders sagged with defeat. Although she had known this was possible, she somehow had still kept hoping that Dumbledore would have some revelation about her circumstances and found out that she could indeed be sent back. She reckoned that this verification to Dumbledore's theory from an Unspeakable, indeed decreased the possibility of her going back to her old life. _If Dumbledore and the Ministry couldn't help her, who could?_ Her situation seemed hopeless. She clenched her jaw and nodded, not wanting to show him how her world seemed to collapse inside her head.

Dumbledore stood up and Hermione followed suit, both walking towards the door. Before she turned to leave, he put a hand to her shoulder and spoke. "I understand we are not as close as the story we have made up for you insinuates. However, my door is always open for you, should you want to talk," He said with a kind smile, his eyes twinkling again.

Hermione couldn't say anything, as she was sure she would have either let out a sob or simply vomited. She was briefly enthralled to know which one it would've been, before she nodded and left his office.

Hermione blinked away tears as she quickly made her way to the empty seventh floor, towards the familiar corridor, stopping just in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. She turned around and began pacing in front of a blank wall. She needed to be somewhere where she could cry her heart out without anyone asking questions. And probably break a few things. She needed someplace hidden. Somewhere no one could find her. _Where everything was hidden._

A door appeared in front of her, and she walked inside. Hermione gaped at the sight that was waiting for her, and could not help but be overwhelmed by what she was seeing. When she had asked the room for a place where no one could find her, where she could break down in peace, she hadn't expected this.

The room was the size of a large cathedral, with high windows from where the moonlight spilled in. Several torches were lit along the walls, emitting flickers of light. There were endless piles and towers of objects, probably hidden by generations of Hogwarts students, professors and house-elves. There were narrow roads between the unbalanced piles of broken and grimy furniture, thousands and thousands of books, which Hermione reckoned were probably banned or stolen.

She lit her wand as she started to walk further down the room. She saw chipped bottles of suspicious looking potions, hats, jewels, cloaks; something what looked like dragon eggshells, as well as corked bottles with contents that still shimmered. Hermione shivered as she realised that the place was probably the same one where Harry had hidden the Half-blood Prince's book. He had described the room to her later on, and by the looks of it, she probably was in the same place.

Hermione let out a weary sigh and began to walk leisurely forward along one of the many alleyways between all the hidden objects. She walked past an enormous stuffed troll, and then took a random left, finally stopping beside a cupboard that seemed to have had acid thrown at its surface.

She couldn't help her curiosity and opened one of the cupboard's creaking doors. There was a cage and inside it was something that had long since died; a skeleton with five legs. She scrunched up her nose and closed the door. Her eyes flickered to a box next to the cupboard, where a chipped bust of an old warlock stood, and next to it, a tarnished tiara was lying forgotten. She continued her walk and watched her surroundings with interest until she found an old, Victorian chaise longue, on where she finally slumped.

Hermione pressed her lips together and let the memories and thoughts of her old life flood into her mind while she cried silently. She shook in place, her face buried in her hands, as she sat at the old dusty divan. She thought of her parents, her best friends, and all the others she would possibly never meet and know. Eventually she lay down on the soft, albeit dirty, pillows and shut her eyes, weeping until no more tears came and she only shivered, feeling utterly empty.

Some time passed and after nearly drifting into a slumber, she stood up. Hermione reckoned it would be best to leave the room before she would actually fall asleep in the midst of all the hidden junk. Who knew what else was there? She stood up, brushed the dust from her clothes and hair, and headed towards the exit.

As Hermione stepped into the corridor, she gasped loudly, holding her hand to her chest from the fright she experienced. Sirius was sitting under the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, his knees bent and arms resting on them. He had a parchment dangling on his other hand, and his wand on the other. He looked up from the sound of her and scampered up on his feet and took in her appearance.

"Hermione! What the hell happened to you? Where did you just come from?" He demanded with concern as he grabbed her from her shoulders. She figured she must've looked like a bloody nutter, considering his reaction.

Hermione let out a deep breath of relief. Sirius was there. "Oh, Sirius," She whispered and pressed herself against him, burying her face against his neck as she took shuddering breaths. "Thank Godric you are here." She said, her voice faltering.

"Kitten, of course I'm here…What happened?" He murmured to her ear consolingly and soothed his hand up and down her back.

Hermione took a moment before she spoke. "I miss my old life…" She said miserably.

He didn't say anything, and only hugged her tightly.

"Come on, it's getting late," He said quietly after a moment, tugging her hand and leading them away from the seventh floor, and towards the Gryffindor tower. He kept glancing at her with a mix of worry and alarm in his eyes, but he stayed quiet. As they reached the empty common room, Hermione realised it had to be past curfew already. Sirius took her into his dormitory and she didn't resist or say anything to him, only followed him numbly.

The boys' dormitory was quiet and dark, as all the boys were fast asleep in their beds. Hermione and Sirius made their way to his bed and sat on it, across from each other. He flicked his wand to shut the curtains and cast a silencing charm before looking at her closely, his eyes wide with worry as they flickered across her face.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly, taking her hand and tracing his thumb against her knuckles. She heaved a great sigh and was quiet for a moment as she stared at their joined hands. She had to tell him something. She wanted to give him something that was real.

"Ab's not my dad." She whispered and snuck a glance at him. "He adopted me a couple of months ago."

Sirius looked surprised but nodded. "Why?"

"Because I'm a Muggleborn…To keep me safe. Because _he_ is the reason my family isn't around anymore."

His eyes widened with shock at her mentioning Voldemort. "In Australia?" He asked, and there was a hint of confusion and disbelief in his voice.

"Yes. He wanted something…someone. My friend. We were captured and brought in Wiltshire." She said and sighed inwardly; the lies were slowly eating her from the inside out. She couldn't tell him the whole truth. There was too much at stake. She hoped it would be possible someday, perhaps when he joined the Order – if he even was going to join.

Sirius stared at her in shock. "Wiltshire…Malfoy Manor?" He said slowly, his face paling with dread.

"Yes."

"How did you get out?" He asked sharply, a calculative look in his eyes.

Hermione knew she couldn't tell him about the Time-Turner. She had to make something up. "I managed to grab a wand and Apparate the hell out of there…I left my friends behind. They didn't make it." She whispered the last sentence and swallowed hard.

Sirius frowned and stared at her with an obscure look. "Hermione…I'm sorry." He said then, his expression turning into a sympathetic one. "I'm sure you did what you could." He continued reassuringly, squeezing her hand. She looked away and wondered for the hundredth time, what had actually happened to her friends.

"What happened in there?" He asked after a moment, although it seemed that he didn't want to know the answer.

"What do you think happened?" She whispered and gave him an exhausted huff. "They tortured me. They beat me. They tried to rape me." She said with a tired voice. She hadn't talked about it, not in so many words to even Dumbledore when he had asked, and even though Sirius had a nauseated and painful look in his eyes, she still reckoned it felt good to let it out. She had the right to receive pity from that at least.

"Who?" He demanded as he shook from a mix of anger and upset, clenching his jaw.

Hermione took a sharp breath. "I can't tell you that," She said with regret. She couldn't tell him their names, as she was sure he would be on his way to seek revenge on her behalf.

Sirius's eyes hardened. "Was it Lucius? His father? That fucking son of a bitch…" He growled.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it wasn't them," she said quickly.

His expression became cold, as he stared at her with a bitter look in his eyes. "But I know them, don't I? And you don't trust me not to retaliate?" He finally said quietly. Hermione averted her eyes and stared at the bed between them.

"No, you don't know them. And even if you did, it wouldn't matter. I got out," she said and her eyes travelled back up to his piercing grey eyes which displayed a hint of regret. She reached a hand to push his silky hair away from his face.

Sirius cleared his throat and frowned. "Where were you just now? On the seventh floor? How did you appear out of nowhere…?" He asked and watched her in puzzlement.

"Oh! I, uh…was thinking. I was just so lost in my thoughts I didn't see you when I was wandering through the halls," she said vaguely. She didn't know if Sirius and the others knew about the Room of Requirement, considering it wasn't on their Map, but she wasn't going to mention it, at least not yet. Before she had left the room, she had thought briefly about it being a possible place for Dumbledore to teach them the curse – at least she was going to suggest it to him later on.

Sirius eyed her suspiciously. "What exactly are you doing with Dumbledore?"

Hermione gave him a small smile. "What do you reckon?" She said and gave him a pointed look.

His eyes widened slightly. "The Order…"

She nodded in acknowledgement.

"I want in. I want to fight." He said to her, a determined look on his face.

Hermione sighed. "Well, it's up to the Headmaster. But I don't think he takes in any students."

He lifted his brows at her.

"'Niece." She said with an innocent smirk.

Sirius huffed and shook his head in mild amusement.

Hermione stifled a yawn.

"Let's go to sleep." He said and eyed her with a small hesitation. "Stay with me?"

"Okay." She smiled and stretched her back. "Merlin, I need to bring a toothbrush in here." She said jokingly and he merely smirked and tugged her hand as he stood up, pulling her with him.

"What are you – "

"Shhh." He shushed and led her to the bathroom.

Hermione scowled at him but followed him quietly into the bathroom.

"Here." He handed her his toothbrush, stripped his clothes right in front of her and slipped into the shower. Hermione's mouth dropped from the unexpected move and she just stood in place, blinking, her round eyes trained on the darkened glass door that led to the shower.

"You okay there, kitten?" Sirius asked with a gleeful voice while he washed himself.

Hermione cleared her throat and went towards the sink. She regarded herself from the mirror and almost gave herself a fright when she saw that her hair was bushier than usual, her skin was blotchy and her eyes and lips were swollen and red from crying. As she started to brush her teeth, her thoughts wandered back to Sirius and what she had just witnessed. She thought of his rippling stomach and flawless chest, how every tiny section of him was perfectly contoured, the way his skin looked so smooth and the light dusting of black hair that ran down his belly, leading to his…

"You done?" He murmured behind her, in all his naked glory, water drippling down his hair and body. Hermione gaped at him through the mirror and coughed awkwardly. Sirius smirked at her, seeming to be pleased with her reaction. She just nodded, wide-eyed and handed him the toothbrush before dashing out of the bathroom. He laughed and went to brush his teeth.

A moment later Sirius came back to his bed, where Hermione was waiting for him with a wary look. She felt relieved as she saw him wearing his pyjama bottoms. Sirius merely smiled and lay down next to her, tugging her closer and placing his chin on top of her head.

"Sirius…"

"Yeah?"

"Have you practiced Occlumency?"

"Sure. Everyone in my family does." He said easily. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"You can't tell anyone what we discussed." She said, backing away slightly and looking at him into his eyes.

He nodded. "You can trust me, Hermione." He said sincerely.

"I know." She smiled and pressed herself against him, breathing in his soothing scent.

"By the way...How did you happen to be on the seventh floor, right where I was?" She whispered. She knew he had had the Marauder's Map in his hands, so he must've seen her leaving the Headmaster's office and disappearing from the Map, since the Room of Requirement wasn't in it.

"Ask me no questions and I tell you no lies, kitten." He murmured and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. She huffed and rolled her eyes, and they both drifted quickly to sleep.

* * *

 **October 9th 1977 (Sunday)**

"May I join you?" Regulus asked quietly as he approached Hermione in the library, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

She was devoting her Sunday morning to her studies again, as Sirius and the other seventh year Gryffindors were sleeping late. During the previous weeks, Hermione had researched time magic several times, even though she usually didn't find anything useful. Now she wasn't really in the mood to look at the possibilities of her return to her old life, not after the talk she'd had with Dumbledore earlier that week.

She had of course researched Horcruxes as well; studying the possibilities of the fifth one – which was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, really, as well as researching possible poisons and antidotes – which also was a lot of guessing, since she had now found several mind-altering and torturing poisons that could've been used to protect the locket.

Earlier that morning, she had browsed through the History of Magic section of the library, in order to find something that Voldemort could've used as a Horcrux but soon she had given up and moved on to her schoolwork. The library didn't exactly have that many volumes about ancient relics. She knew she had to be careful with her researches, since Regulus had made an occurring theme to join her in the library on the weekends, and she wasn't going to reveal anything to him until Dumbledore had approved it.

"Yes, of course." She said and gave him a kind smile. "So...How are things?" She asked tentatively as he sat down next to her.

On Friday, Sirius and Regulus had met the Headmaster to confirm Regulus's allegiances with the help of Veritaserum. Sirius had insisted that he should attend the meeting and also be the one asking some of the questions from his brother, since he was the only one who truly knew how Regulus thought and functioned. All Hermione knew, was that Dumbledore himself had asked a couple of questions before appearing satisfied, but Sirius had apparently dug a bit deeper, wanting to know exactly what his brother's motives were and why he had chosen to do this now. She had also learned that Regulus came out clear, as the Headmaster had sent her a letter in which he briefly mentioned that their plans were going to be set in motion.

"Brilliant." He replied with hint of sarcasm, glancing at her without emotion.

Hermione was a bit confused because he was so hard to read, that she didn't know what to say to him. She merely frowned and turned back to her studies. It was a bit frustrating since she was now his contact and she barely knew him, and still, she was supposed to interact with him frequently.

"I mean, who wouldn't love it, when the Headmaster himself hears your deepest and darkest thoughts, because your own brother decides to torment you for fun." He glanced at her with a small smirk.

Hermione chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you would have done the same to him, right?" She muttered.

Regulus laughed. "I would've, but the guy doesn't exactly have any secrets, not when he's always walking around the school and bragging about himself," he said humorously.

A smile tugged at Hermione's lips. She did know that Sirius had his moments.

"How can you be so unreadable at times and so…unreserved at others?" she asked him with a cautious smile.

"I'm a Black?" he suggested blankly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

Regulus smirked. "I know."

She stifled a laugh and shook her head in exasperation. _Perhaps this could work, after all, s_ he thought before focusing on her parchment.

They studied for a while without speaking until he glanced at her direction to see what she was scribbling in her parchment. There was a list of potion ingredients as well as some other notes.

"What are you planning to brew?" He asked and watched her reaction, his mouth twitching a bit as she flinched.

"Oh! Well, nothing, I'm just researching for our potion's project," She said vaguely. After finishing her schoolwork, she had found a couple of things from their Potions textbook which she decided to add to her own poisons research.

Regulus studied her closely. She had a feeling that he saw right through her. She tried not to blush and instead held his stare.

"What it is about?" He asked, his brow arching slightly as she shuffled the parchment under her Transfiguration notes.

 _Subtle, Hermione…_ She thought and tried to appear nonchalant. "Um…you know, uncommon poisons and antidotes," She said with a shrug.

He gave her a sceptical look, but didn't press the matter. She had an inkling that he knew that she wasn't telling him the truth.

"Yeah, I know." He said quietly.

Hermione changed the topic to NEWT level Transfiguration and together they speculated of what was likely to be tested in the NEWTs. Regulus seemed to be quite pleased to have a conversation about their courses, even though she was a year ahead of him.

* * *

 **October 22nd 1977 (Saturday)**

It was their third Hogsmeade weekend, and Hermione had promised to go shopping with the seventh year Gryffindor girls, to find them dresses for the Halloween ball next weekend. Between her studies, missions and spending time with Sirius, she barely had had the time to talk with her dorm mates, even though she lived with them and had meals and classes with them. Hermione reckoned that she missed some girl time, and so she left the castle in high spirits, even though shopping itself wasn't one of her favourite things to do.

As they walked along the main street of the village, which was bustling with eager students from third year and up, Hermione couldn't help but blush at the sight of the Shrieking Shack, which loomed further ahead. The last time they had had a Hogsmeade trip, a couple of weeks ago, she had gone with Sirius and he had taken her to the Shack through a hidden and charmed door in the back of the building. After numerous cleaning spells, they had spent their day in a clean and intact bed, kissing and exploring each other with gentle fingers.

She was snapped out from her thoughts as Lily opened the door to the Gladrags Wizardwear, where they all marched inside. The shop was packed with girls who all swarmed through the store, excitedly browsing the racks of dresses. The seventh year Gryffindors scattered in different ways, flipping through the gowns and dresses suited for a Halloween ball. Hermione reckoned the shop was always stocked to respond for demand, since the place wasn't that big after all.

Hermione looked over a couple of gowns, not having a clue of what she should wear. The girls had talked about a simple gown and mask combination, and she'd thought it sounded fairly manageable. At least she did before she saw all the dresses hanging on the racks, waiting for her to go through them. She sighed inwardly and moved further to the shop.

Fifteen minutes later, Lily called for her from the other side of the shop. "Mione, come here! I found just the perfect one for you."

Hermione went to her, and scrunched up her nose when she saw what Lily was holding up.

She shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not," she said and gave Lily an incredulous look. Although the dress was a charming black one, with an intricate bead pattern across the seams, the bust dipped far too low for her taste. Lily regarded the dress for a moment.

"Well, I suppose it _is_ a bit revealing. Although you could totally pull it off. _And_ since you are going with the bad boy…" She said, waggling her brows at Hermione.

Hermione huffed at her in response.

"Okay. I'll just find you something less revealing then." Lily said with a laugh, and went to search the racks.

Hermione chuckled. "Lils, you don't have to, I'll manage on my own, really. Besides, shouldn't you be searching for your own gown?"

"Oh, I already found one." She said with a bright smile and showed Hermione a simple, emerald green chiffon gown, the colour matching her eyes perfectly.

"It's beautiful." Hermione said quietly and smiled at Lily.

They both turned to browse the racks again, and after a while, Hermione had grabbed a couple of gowns with her to try on. In the dressing room, she saw Marlene eyeing herself appreciatively from a tall mirror. She was wearing the revealing black dress with a plunging neckline, the one Lily had offered to her first. Hermione couldn't help but feel inadequate when she saw the dress fitting Marlene's flawless figure perfectly. She reckoned that Sirius was probably used to dating the model-like girls. Girls like Marlene…

Hermione knew it was silly to feel that way since Sirius had been nothing but eager to be with her, even though he probably could've chosen almost any girl in the school. She also knew it was pointless to stress over what anyone thought of her. Still, she couldn't help it, feeling a bit insecure. She had never dated anyone, never had sex with anyone, hell, she had barely kissed a boy before Sirius. And when she had been fancying Ron when they were in school, he had chosen Lavender instead. That really hadn't helped matters. Heaving a sigh, Hermione shook away the thoughts and went to try the gowns she had brought with her.

"Well?" Lily called from the other side of the stall. Hermione was trying out her third dress and the others had already found what they were looking for. Lily and Mary were waiting in the dressing room while Alice was absently browsing through racks, with Marlene having gone already as she had told the girls she was meeting someone for an early lunch.

"Er…I'm not so sure about this…I mean, I love it, but…" Hermione said hesitantly and came out from the stall. Both Lily and Mary gasped.

She wore a long, fuchsia and silver gown with a crystal encrusted, high halter neckline bodice with an open back. The rich satin skirt reached to the floor.

"Bugger me…" Mary muttered distractedly, while gaping at the sight in front of her. "You look amazing, Hermione!" Mary exclaimed while Lily nodded beside her fervently.

"Think so? Should I take it?" Hermione asked with uncertainty.

"YES!" Both girls exclaimed and Hermione laughed. She quite liked the gown, and so she bought it, vowing herself to use it more than in this one occasion, since the dress had cost an arm and a leg. After Hermione was done with her purchase, the girls left to visit the other shops before lunch.

* * *

"Are you going to the ball with someone?" Hermione asked, glancing at Mary, who was walking beside her along the main street. Lily and Alice were walking ahead of them, chattering animatedly about the upcoming ball. There were still many students wandering around the village, some of them browsing the shop windows and others merely walking and enjoying the crisp, outside air. It had been raining for several days before their Hogsmeade weekend, but now the sky had finally cleared.

Mary looked a bit sad. "No…I, uh…Well, I suppose you know how I feel about Remus, don't you?" She said, cringing a little and glancing back at Hermione.

"Oh! No…Well, yes, I suppose I had my assumptions…" Hermione said politely. "So…have you told him?" She asked and watched Mary with a frown. _Did Remus know?_ _Why hadn't he said anything?_

Mary sighed. "Yeah, I told him just the other week. I mean, we've had something going on for a while now, and he even kissed me once before summer. We were at a party and we were both drunk when it happened, and I think he regretted it the next day. He apologised his behaviour and kept his distance for some time." Mary explained, adjusting her scarf. "When the school started again and we were at the start of school party, we danced together and it was, um…pretty intense for a bit." She said and smirked at Hermione.

Hermione smiled. "Did you talk after the party?" She had missed their dance but remembered the chaste kiss Remus had given Mary during the game of Firewhiskey or dare.

Mary shook her head and looked down. "I kinda waited for him to bring it up, but when he didn't, I confronted him. Only it took over a month to do so…" She worried her lip and looked at Hermione.

"What did he say?" Hermione was intrigued, although she suspected it probably wasn't anything good since Mary was not happy about it. Hermione had talked with Remus occasionally and he at least hadn't mentioned anything to her.

"Well…" Mary started and sighed. "He said that he can't be with anyone. That he doesn't want to hurt me…It's like he already knows it's going to end, you know?" She said with frustration, looking miserable.

Hermione sighed inwardly… _Oh, Remus_ … It seemed that he was protecting Mary from himself. Hermione felt quite sad for them both. Remus deserved happiness, and she remembered the older him trying to push Tonks away as well, and probably would have succeeded if the Metamorphmagus hadn't been as determined as she was.

"Yeah, I have a faint idea…" Hermione muttered. _Perhaps it was time to have a little chat with Moony._


	14. Confrontation

**A/N:** Aaand finally some action! ...And some other action can soon be found from Ao3 under the same pen name! xD

I have to agree with Calimocho - I feel bad for the teenagers who have to participate in Voldemort's cause, because of their families/blood...And, well...poor Regulus...

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Confrontation**

 **October 24th 1977 (Monday)**

Dumbledore had sent a note to Hermione on the weekend, asking her to join in a meeting on Monday evening. She assumed that the Headmaster had finally found a place where they could start practicing the Fiendfyre curse. Dumbledore had instructed her to meet with Gideon, who would bring her to their meeting place. Hermione was curious to see where they would be going to, and was waiting anxiously for the evening to come.

At the end of their DADA class Gideon asked Hermione to stay behind again. Her classmates didn't seem to think anything of it anymore, since everyone thought that Hermione was going through Hogwarts's curriculum with their Defence professor. Her friends packed their belongings and left the class, waving her their goodbyes, and Sirius gave her a kiss on the cheek, promising to wait for her before he exited the classroom.

Hermione walked to the front of the classroom, eyeing a large picture of a Dullahan, a type of an evil fairy, from the open book that lay on Gideon's desk as they waited for the last of the students to leave the classroom.

Gideon spoke after the door closed. "So…I believe you received a note from the Headmaster about my brother and I joining in the, ah…mission." He said and watched her expectantly.

"Yes, he told me. And did you receive a note about today's meeting?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yes, I did."

"Okay. So…"

"It is beginning, Hermione." He said with a sombre look. She nodded.

"Are you ready?" He asked with a hint of concern in his eyes.

Hermione frowned. Did she have any choice? "Are you?" Hermione asked, challenging him.

"No." He said with a serious face but then he broke into a grin and laughed.

Hermione smiled. "Well, I suppose neither am I, but I have to try at least, right?" Hermione said quietly, giving him a look of determination.

"Yeah," He said and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Come here after dinner, and we'll leave through my floo." He stood up, dismissing her.

Hermione nodded and left the classroom, her thoughts wandering. She forgot that Sirius had said he would wait for her and was startled as she saw him leaning against the wall next to the classroom.

"Oh, hi," she stammered, her mind still in disorder.

Sirius grinned. "So _that_ kind of visit, then? Forgetting me already…" he said teasingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

Sirius barked a laugh. "I'm just messing with you, love," he said. "Let's go to lunch, yeah?" He said and took her hand in his. Her expression softened and she followed him as they headed towards the Great Hall.

"Gonna tell me what did Prewett want?" he asked, glancing at her studiously. "Are you even going through the DADA material anymore? Or were you just using it as a red herring to talk Order business?" He said quietly and gave her a knowing look.

Hermione blanched and looked around them. She spotted an empty classroom on her left and dragged Sirius inside the dim lit room, the only light coming from between the closed window shutters. After a couple of wards and silencing charms to the door, she hissed, "You know better than to talk about that in the halls, Sirius!"

He merely lifted his brows to her, arms crossed over his lean chest. Her focus faltered a bit as her gaze wandered over his muscular arms and chest.

She then sighed. "Yes, it's a diversion," She said and worried her lip in contemplation.

"So he's in the Order too?" Sirius asked blankly.

"Yes," Hermione said and nodded. "And I'm meeting him tonight as well. Just so you know," she said quietly and took a step closer to him. He unfolded his arms and took a hold of her waist, while she placed her hands flat against his chest.

"Why are you seeing him?" He asked, eyeing her closely.

Hermione knew she couldn't say anything about it. "You know I can't talk about it with anyone…" She said carefully, studying his reaction.

He looked annoyed, and she understood. He wanted to join the fight, to do something that mattered. She slid her arms around his waist, hugging him close and breathing in his calming scent. She felt him relax against her.

"Keep nuzzling me like that and we'll skip lunch, kitten." He murmured warningly while his hands smoothed up and down her curves.

"You are insatiable, you know?" She said and looked up at him with a small smile.

"Nope. Just a bloke." He said with a smirk. "A patient one, may I add."

Although they'd had quite a heated encounter in the Shrieking Shack the other day, he still hadn't urged them to move forward. Hermione knew Sirius had been fairly patient with her, letting her to set the pace, and she appreciated it a lot.

"Yes, you are." She whispered and reached up to kiss him. He hummed as her hands slid into his wild tangle of hair. The kiss grew more passionate, more urgent, and soon it seemed that the feel of her lips and tongue against his was not enough to satisfy his growing need. Hermione shivered with desire as his hands trailed down her back, caressing her bum and pulling her against his hips.

Sirius's lips followed the angle of her jaw and the curve of her neck with soft kisses until he scraped his teeth gently down the side of her neck, drawing out a quiet gasp from her lips. He moved her to the wall and pressed her against it, kissing her lips with a slow but hungry pace, his fingers skimming downwards over the fabric of her skirt, and then slowly trailing up her bare thigh, while his other hand held her waist. She could only kiss back with eagerness and arch herself against him, desperate to be as close to him as possible.

He broke their kiss and turned his heated gaze at her to silently ask her permission to go forward, as his hands moved over her bare skin, caressing the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Trembling, she gave him a slight nod, and let out a breathy sigh as he brushed his fingertips over her knickers.

* * *

Moments after Hermione held onto him tightly, trembling as they both caught their breath, their warm breaths mingling, their lips brushing against one another. Sirius took his wand and cast a quick Scourgify to his hands and slacks, before pulling her closer to him, soothing his hands against her back.

As they broke off from their embrace, she looked up at him in a mix of shyness and awe.

"That was incredible. Not even close to what I've experienced before." She whispered with a bashful look.

"I know." Sirius gave her a cocky grin. Hermione pursed her lips.

He quickly turned his expression into a sincere smile and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "There might be still time to have lunch. Do you want to go?"

"Yes, please." She gave him a smile. After tidying up their appearances, they left the classroom and headed towards the Great Hall again.

"I can't believe we actually did that…in a classroom! In broad daylight nonetheless..." She muttered with a shocked expression as if she'd only realised what had happened.

Sirius chuckled and squeezed her closer to him. "Oh, kitten. We're gonna have so much fun."

* * *

While the girls, Remus and Peter were in Herbology, James and Sirius had a free period. They were spending it in their dorm, planning their next pranks and playing a game of exploding snap. After the game, they both were lounging on their respective beds, with Sirius flipping through a muggle motorcycle magazine and James studying the Marauder's Map.

"How are things with Hermione?" James asked as he tried a new enchantment on the Map.

"Okay, I guess…" Sirius replied absently, browsing the magazine before throwing it on the nightstand next to his bed. "I mean, ignoring the waiting part…" He said, looking at his mate knowingly.

James chuckled. "Yeah, that's a bitch. How are you handling it?" He questioned, knowing his friend, and his impatience.

"I can wait as long as it takes," Sirius said, shrugging.

James lifted his brows. "You loooooove her, mate," he laughed.

"Sod off, Prongs." Sirius said with a roll of his eyes. "I fancy her. It's just…I'm giving her time. I mean…she hasn't done anything like that before…" He said hesitantly.

"Yeah? So…what were you up to before lunch, in an empty classroom?" James questioned, giving his friend a meaningful look.

"Nothing much. Just having a talk." Sirius shrugged with indifferent expression, assuming that James had probably spotted them from the Map. "And stop stalking me, mate." He added with a pointed look.

James seemed unaffected by his demands and merely shrugged innocently.

"So…has she told you about Australia? Seems to keep oddly quiet about it…" James asked after a brief silence, eyeing Sirius searchingly.

Sirius shrugged. "Some things, yeah." Although he wanted to tell his friend about her past – everything what she'd told him – he still had promised her that he wouldn't talk about it to anyone.

James eyed him sceptically but said nothing more on the subject.

* * *

That evening after dinner, Hermione told her friends that she was off to meet the Headmaster as she stood up from the couch in front of the fireplace where the Gryffindors were spending time. She gave a quick kiss to Sirius, who pulled her on his lap, surprising her as he proceeded to snog her thoroughly.

As Sirius's fingers slid over her bum, a move that earned disgusted groans from their friends, Hermione quickly pried his hands away and scampered back on her feet. She narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired wizard as James and Peter sniggered next to them. Sirius merely gave her an innocent smile in reply.

With a huff, she left the common room and headed towards Gideon's office, nervous in anticipation. She knocked enthusiastically on the door, and Gideon let her in, smiling as he saw the impatient look in her eyes.

"A bit eager, are we?" He said teasingly, earning an arched brow from her.

Further from the room came a short laugh, from Fabian.

"I reckon you ought to be careful with her, brother…I know that look and it usually doesn't lead to anything delightful." Fabian said with a sly grin. He turned to Hermione who stepped inside Gideon's office.

"Nice to meet you again, Hermione." He eyed her appreciatively. Gideon gave his brother an incredulous look. "What? I am not her professor." Fabian continued and winked at Hermione.

Although she wasn't used to that kind of attention from the male population, she still had grown up with the Weasley twins. The Prewett twins' antics were shockingly similar to their future nephews, which made her feel bit of at ease in their presence. She merely rolled her eyes at Fabian and greeted them both.

"So, are we waiting for Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, or…" She said a bit awkwardly.

"No, we shall meet them in our destination." Gideon said and gestured for her to follow him towards the fireplace.

"Last moment to back out, little Dumbledore…" Fabian said with a teasing voice.

"Back at you, Prewett," Hermione grumbled and walked to Gideon who was waiting in front of the fireplace. The brothers exchanged a knowing look.

Gideon took a handful of floo powder, threw it in the flames and yelled, "Druidaig Cottage!" before stepping into the flames and disappearing from his office. Fabian motioned Hermione to go next, and she followed Gideon's example, anxious of what was waiting for her at the other end. After her short floo-trip, she stumbled from the fireplace on the other end and saw the familiar figures of the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall and Gideon. She moved to the side to give Fabian room as she heard him coming behind her.

Hermione took in her surroundings. They were in a charming cottage and based on the view from the large windows, which were opening to the majestic mountains, overlooking a lake, and an old castle that was looming further, she reckoned they were somewhere in Scottish Highlands.

"Wow." She muttered as she eyed the spectacular view and reckoned it was probably even more breath-taking in daylight. She then remembered the reason she was there and turned to the Headmaster and her Head of House.

Dumbledore surveyed them all. "Thank you for coming. And first, may I offer my gratitude to Minerva here, who graciously invited us to Letterfearn, her home." He nodded to McGonagall who gave him a small smile in return. Hermione's brows rose a bit, but based on their expressions; it seemed that the Prewetts already knew this was McGonagall's house.

They were standing in the sitting room, or so she suspected as she spotted a large bookshelf that was filled with books on the opposite wall, and a seating area surrounding them and the fireplace behind her. She saw a glimpse of the kitchen from an archway, holding a small, round table and chairs around it. She glanced on the opposite side of the room, and there was a similar archway that led to the hallway, and another archway on the other side where she spotted a stairway up. Between the large windows in the sitting room, she noticed a door which led to the patio she'd missed when she had first taken a look at the view.

"The nearest village being quite far away from here, I thought the place would be suitable for our purpose. There is an ancient underground fortification nearby, and I have managed to strengthen it magically, making it more sufficient for our activities." Dumbledore explained matter-of-factly.

Dumbledore then eyed the others for a moment before he continued. "Shall we?"

Everyone nodded before Dumbledore led the way outside where they met the freezing air. Hermione shivered and berated herself for not taking her winter coat with her. Suddenly warmth spread through her. She looked around in surprise.

"Are you a witch or not?" Fabian whispered to her ear and laughed lightly when he heard Hermione mutter something under her breath.

After a short stride down the hill, and a couple of warming charms later, they entered the underground complex, blinking in the darkness until Dumbledore flicked his wand and several lit torches appeared on the walls.

Hermione's eyes widened at the sight. The place was an enormous chamber, larger than the Great Hall in Hogwarts. Its walls stretched up so far that the ceiling was beyond her field of vision. There must've been an extension charm of some sort, since she was sure they hadn't descended that much down the hill. The chamber itself was empty, without any decoration except the many torches along the walls which were emitting a flickering light to the room.

Dumbledore walked in front of them and turned to face them. "I believe you all have looked into this curse you are trying to master?" He asked and Hermione and the others nodded.

"As you probably now know, the difficult part is to control and cease the flames. We will go through the steps how to cast, control and cease the cursed fire. There is also one useful charm against the curse that you should learn. Are you familiar with the Partis Temporis charm?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing them expectantly.

They all nodded and he continued, "It is an effective charm to disperse the flames temporarily, not allowing the curse to take full form, and thus making it less destructive. The wand movement is similar to the one ceasing the flames. The curse itself is a non-verbal charm, as is the charm to cease the flames. First, we will go through the wand movements for casting and ceasing the curse. Then you will go through them in pairs while I will add some reinforcements to the chamber."

Dumbledore went through the wand movements multiple times, and they paired up. Gideon turned to Hermione, and Fabian smirked at his brother before he turned to pair with McGonagall.

They practiced the wand movements in silence, as well as the Partis Temporis charm, by conjuring a pile of sand and casting the dispersing charm on the sand.

When Dumbledore seemed satisfied with their wand movements, he motioned for them to get ready. Hermione braced herself, her wand at the ready. Somehow, she hadn't thought that they would jump that fast into action, but then again, she knew that charms were always better learnt by practicing, not only the wand movements but casting as well. She noticed that Gideon was clenching his jaw next to her, watching Dumbledore in anticipation.

The Headmaster waved his wand in an intricate pattern, and just before a large form of fire soared up from his wand, Hermione felt a cold shiver of the dark magic. The flame took the form of an eagle, and it was obvious that Dumbledore was putting everything he had to keep the curse from attacking them.

"Hermione!" The Headmaster shouted.

She jumped next to him, blood rushing in her ears as she cast the dispersing charm, which parted the eagle, making the curse loose its form as a channel was created in the middle of the wild, encircling flames. After a moment, sweat coated her brow, and her hand started to shake as the dispersing charm took much of her powers.

"Minerva!" The Headmaster shouted again.

McGonagall took a place next to Hermione, using the non-verbal incantation to cease the flames. It took her many attempts but the flames stayed put, flickering only slightly as she waved her wand.

Hermione was losing her strength quickly, and shouted in panic, "I can't hold on much longer!"

Dumbledore's focus never wavered from the cursed fire, which had taken a form of a raging Chimaera. "Switch!" He shouted and Gideon and Fabian took place next to him, while Hermione and McGonagall stepped back, both breathing heavily.

Fabian cast the dispersing charm, which made the cursed fire lose its form again, while his brother tried to cease the flames. Hermione watched the scene anxiously, and noticed that Dumbledore was swaying slightly.

"Stop it now!" Hermione shouted in panic. McGonagall stared at the Headmaster, her mouth tightened with worry and shock etched into her eyes.

Dumbledore waved his wand again, ceasing the flames effectively. He shook a little and breathed heavily. McGonagall quickly conjured a chair for him and Albus sat down, resting after the ordeal.

"That was an acceptable start." He said quietly, looking thoughtful as he glanced at the others.

Hermione gaped at him. "Acceptable? You almost lost your strength! Do you have any idea of what might've happened then? We would have died!" She cried in panic.

The Prewetts stared at her outburst in surprise, as she all but screamed bloody murder to Dumbledore. McGonagall watched the scene with a small smile tugging her lips. Dumbledore eyed Hermione calmly and finally he chuckled.

"I suppose you are right, dear niece." He looked at her over his half-moon spectacles, with his eyes twinkling.

Hermione let out a weary sigh. "I'm sorry. For yelling at you." She muttered embarrassedly.

"Not to worry, dear. Next time I will stop sooner. I have to say, it is quite nice to have someone taking care of my wellbeing, Hermione." He said with a kind smile.

They agreed to call it a night, and the Headmaster promised to contact them again before their next practice. They walked back to McGonagall's house in the dark night, the only light coming from their wands and the bright stars above them. Everyone was silent, and Hermione suspected that the others were as exhausted as she was. It really had taken almost all her powers and she didn't even want to imagine what it would be like to cast the curse and maintain it.

She stumbled out of the floo in Gideon's office with Gideon and Fabian following her, while Dumbledore and McGonagall stayed behind in cottage. Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder as she turned to leave the office.

"You okay, Hermione?" Gideon asked with concern.

"Yes, of course. Just a bit knackered, that's all." She muttered and headed towards the door.

"You know you can come to me if there is anything you want to talk about," Gideon said to her back quietly.

"Yeah, thanks Gideon. Goodnight," She said, glancing back at him and Fabian, who were both watching her with drained expressions.

"Night." The twins replied to her, before she left the office.

She walked back to the Gryffindor Tower through the dark and quiet halls. It was late, and she couldn't wait to get into her bed and have a good night's rest before their classes the next day.

Hermione had thought the common room would be empty, since it was probably past midnight already, but as she stepped inside the tower, she was startled. James was sitting in front of the fireplace, in an armchair that faced the portrait hole. What was he doing there? He stared at her with an expressionless look on his face which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Hi James. Why are you up so late?" She asked, a bit out of breath as she approached him slowly.

He lifted a brow at her. "Could ask you the same thing."

Hermione shrugged. "I told you, I was meeting the Headmaster."

"Is that so?" He said darkly, obviously not believing a word. _Great. He must've seen her in the Map, going to Gideon's office._

"Well, yes. Not that it's any of your business – "

James bolted from the chair and came close to her. "It is actually if you are going to be in Sirius's life. And if you are lying to him and the rest of us." He hissed and looked her with a hint of glare, his temper getting the best of him. _Just like Harry_ , Hermione thought bitterly.

Hermione was taken aback by his accusations.

"So tell me, where were – " He didn't finish his sentence as his eyes widened with shock and he snatched his wand, bringing it quickly to her neck. "I can sense it. Dark Magic. What the fuck are you playing at?"

Hermione felt stunned. "James, it's nothing. I haven't done anything. Please move your wand away." She said slowly, her voice wavering a bit as she tried to give him an earnest look. She couldn't just tell him what she had been up to, but she had to make him understand that she wasn't a threat to anyone.

James didn't move and merely glared at her and snagged her wand from her pocket, where her hand was slowly reaching.

"Stop it, James! Honestly! You have misunderstood this," She said sharply, narrowing her eyes at him.

James arched a brow at her. "Then tell me something real." He said with a demanding voice.

Hermione sighed, her mind whirling. What the hell was she supposed to tell him? She had to make him trust her, and she knew she had to give him something that would make him get off her back. "Fine."

He lowered his wand hesitantly and gave hers back. She took her wand and began walking around them, casting charms non-verbally.

"What are you doing?" James asked with alarm in his voice.

"Just protective charms. I don't want to be overheard if you are demanding information from me."

"We are in the Gryffindor Common room, Hermione…" He said incredulously.

"Yes, I know that. But I also know that you have an Invisibility Cloak and I know the way to enter the other House's common rooms." She said plainly and continued with the charms.

"How in name of Merlin's wrinkled ballsack – " He began, but stopped when she gave him a sharp look.

He watched her in shock for a moment before he spoke again. "Okay, I suppose you are right. But I'll want to know exactly how you found out about the Cloak." He muttered, frowning at her with irritation.

When she was done with her charms, she turned back to him, her expression serious.

"You wanted to know something real?"

"Yeah."

"And you promise not to tell a soul what you're about to learn?" She demanded, knowing he would probably still talk with Sirius, Remus and Peter, but confident that the information would stay between them.

James gave her a tight nod. "Wizard's oath."

"…I'm in the Order." She said quietly, starting into his hazel eyes with a daring look.

James's brows lifted in surprise. "Oh." He said, with a hint of impression in his voice. "I thought students aren't allowed – "

"Well, yes, they aren't. Dumbledore made an exception with me." She said, interrupting him. James eyed her thoughtfully.

"What were you doing tonight? I can sense Dark Magic all over you." He said with a frown. Hermione couldn't help but feel impressed. He truly was a powerful wizard if he could sense the magic in her even though she hadn't really cast any curses.

Hermione sighed. "I can't tell you that." She said with a shrug.

James looked annoyed.

"Look, James. I am on your side, and if you have any doubts, you are welcome to turn to the Headmaster. I was with him tonight. There were others as well, but I can't talk about that with you. If you doubt my intentions with Sirius, well frankly, there's nothing I can do to change your mind if you don't believe me. I wish him no harm, and I would never hurt him intentionally. And that goes to all of your friends, yourself included." She explained, looking into his eyes sincerely.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to retreat to my dormitory, so that I can catch a little sleep before tomorrow." She finished with a yawn and turned to walk to her dormitory, not looking back or waiting for his answer. James was left to the common room with a bewildered expression, staring at her retreating back.

* * *

 **October 27th 1977 (Thursday)**

It was the morning after the full moon, and Hermione had decided to visit the hospital wing, where she knew Remus would be recovering from his transformation. She stood up before the other girls in her dorm did - it was only half six in the morning, so the others were still fast asleep. She quickly showered, got dressed in her school robes and left quietly towards the hospital wing. The halls were silent and dark; it was the morning twilight before sunrise, and the breakfast would start in an hour.

Hermione slipped into the infirmary, and made her way to the last bed, where the curtains were drawn all around it. She knew Remus would be there and even though she doubted he would be awake, she wanted to see him. Hermione peeked between the curtains and saw him lying there, white as a sheet and with a collection of new scars that scattered around his face. Some of them were already healing, supposedly with the help of Dittany. Hermione frowned and blinked rapidly as her eyes started to burn at the sight of him. She slipped between the curtains to stand next to his bed and took a good look at him. Despite being a seventeen-year-old young man, he still looked innocent and fragile being like this. She briefly wondered if he would be mad if he woke up to see her gaping at him.

As if sensing her presence, Remus opened his eyes slowly, blinking slightly before his gaze was fixed on Hermione. He looked exhausted, and then his eyes widened comically as he realised where they were.

"H-Hermione," he stammered, his eyes flashing with panic.

She smiled calmly at him. "Hello, Remus. How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Pain Potion? Calming Draught? Do you want me to get Madam Pomfrey?" She asked quietly as he stared at her with a mix of shock and disorientation.

"W-Why are you here, Hermione?" He whispered, sitting up slowly. He gritted his teeth, a small wince escaping from his lips as he moved.

"I'm here to see you, of course." Hermione explained calmly while moving closer to him, finally sitting on the edge of his bed. He shifted further away from her.

"I'm, er…feeling a bit under the weather, so…you should keep your distance. You should go, Hermione." He said hastily and frowned at his lap.

Hermione let out a soft sigh. "Remus. You're not sick, and I'd like to stay. I know why you're here."

He gave her an alarmed look. "How?" He asked, clenching his jaw while his eyes darted around his hospital bed.

"I figured it out. You were 'sick' the last full moons, so sick, in fact that you had to come into the hospital wing. You prefer your meat raw, and near the full moon you become rather sullen." She said kindly. "Not to mention that your friends call you _Moony_ in front of everyone, and joke about your 'furry little problem'," Hermione continued with a wry smile. "Really, you guys should be more careful if you didn't wish for someone realising your secret…" She muttered with a hesitant smirk.

Remus stared at her with a dumbfounded look. "I'm…I…" he began but didn't really know how to respond to her. Sighing, he threaded his hand through his hair. "You do realise what happens if this gets out?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise," Hermione said quickly. "You can trust me," She said with a smile and took his hand. He flinched at her touch.

"I…I don't know what to say…" He muttered, his eyes again moving around the curtained hospital bed.

Hermione squeezed his hand, drawing his gaze back to her. "You don't have to say anything. This is what friends do," She said simply.

Remus let out a strained chuckle as he studied her expression. He shook his head and sighed. "Thanks, I guess. For keeping my secret," He said and watched her in a mix of awe and bewilderment. Hermione knew that look – the wonder in his eyes, the surprise to find people who accepted his illness this easily. It made a her stomach twist with sadness.

Hermione gave him a quick briefing of yesterday's classes, which was about Potions, as he didn't take Arithmancy. They had been working on a new potion with the same partners, and after she had explained their assignment, he studied her uneasily.

"How is it? Being partnered with him?"

Hermione sighed. She had been Snape's partner in Potions since the term had started, as Slughorn said it was easier for him that students didn't change partners. "I don't know. I mean, we sort of came along in September, but now…he's just been ignoring me. Which is fine, I guess. Rather that, than him being a menace, right?" She said with a mirthless laugh. Remus nodded sympathetically.

"So…You're up for the Halloween ball?" She asked brightly, changing the subject away from her bothersome Potions partner. Truthfully, she didn't understand why Snape acted like that, as if he was upset that she had been slowly befriending his friend, Regulus. She sighed inwardly. Her life was a relationship mess.

"Yeah, I guess." He said with a noncommittal shrug.

"Going with someone?" Hermione pressed on.

"What?" He looked at her incredulously. "Why would I go with someone? Did you just miss the part of me being a fucking werewolf, Hermione?" he snapped at her, looking annoyed.

Hermione pursed her lips. "No, but that shouldn't stop you from dating? Or simply going to a ball with someone? I'm sure that if it is the right person, she won't care about your Lycanthropy, but about your honesty. You should open yourself up more. Not everyone think the way you assume." She said sincerely.

Remus let out a weary sigh. "I...but what if I hurt her…? What if she's afraid of me…?" He mumbled and didn't look at her.

"You won't. She won't be. And it's not like you have to give all your secrets away on the first date, right?" She said and smirked at him when he glanced at her.

"I have a feeling you have someone certain in mind." He grumbled under his breath.

"Maybe I have. But so do you…" She said with a mischievous smile. "I guess I just hate to see two people longing for each other and not doing anything about it…" She said with a knowing look.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll ask her." He said quietly after a while. Hermione beamed at him.


	15. Halloween

**A/N:** Thank you for reading and the reviews!

I'm not into swearing Hermione, but I think in this case it is necessary…

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Halloween**

 **October 29th 1977 (Saturday)**

The Halloween Ball was to be held on Saturday, a couple of days before actual Halloween. As Head Girl, Lily had been organising the ball, along with the Head Boy and the Prefects. They all had presumed that had the ball been held on a weekday, there would have been more students skiving off classes the next day. The ball was meant to be a bit more elegant and formal than their normal Halloween party, and although the decorations and food were matching the holiday, the dress code for the evening was black tie instead of costumes. The participating students were also encouraged to wear masks.

Even though the Head Boy and Girl were expected to go to the ball together, Lily had told the girls that there was nothing going on between her and James. Apparently, lately James had been a bit distant but still polite towards her. It was obvious that they fancied one another, but it seemed that neither of them had the courage to take the first step – in fear of being turned down.

The seventh year Gryffindor girls were getting ready for the ball in their dormitory. There were clothes, makeup and hair products scattered around the dorm, and Hermione rolled her eyes at the mess that had formed during her long shower. She sat on her bed, wearing a t-shirt and yoga pants, pulled her hair into a bun and started to apply makeup.

Twenty minutes later she was grumbling under her breath as she tried to figure out how to do her hair so that it wasn't a tangled heap.

"I think you should leave your hair open, since you have an open back in the dress. Just charm it maybe…" Alice said, her mouth quirking up a bit as she came to see what was the problem.

"Well that's the plan but unfortunately, I'm quite terrible with beauty charms. Hence the birds nest." Hermione chuckled and pointed her hair which was even more unruly than usual.

"I can do it. It'll take just a couple of minutes." Alice said with a shrug and swished her wand in simple patterns over Hermione's head. A moment later her hair cascaded down her back in soft and sleek curls. Hermione glanced at the mirror in awe. She had put on a light makeup, since her dress itself was so bright and full of colour. The curls framed her face perfectly, and Hermione couldn't help but grin at her reflection.

"Thanks, Allie." She smiled.

"No problem." Alice beamed back. She was already done with her preparations and wearing her off-white, nude embellished chiffon gown. The beaded bodice was sheer and long sleeved in nude colour with a discreet V-neck, while the off-white coloured skirt flowed to the floor. She wore light makeup and cherry coloured lip gloss that gave her lips a pinkish tint, making her appearance look delicate and elegant. Hermione reckoned she looked quite beautiful, with her petite figure and her black pixie haircut.

"How's Frank doing in the DMLE?" Hermione asked while she charmed her beaded bag to match her dress – not that they needed any bags in the ball, but Hermione just couldn't part with hers.

Hermione had learned that Frank Longbottom and Alice had started dating a couple of years back when he too had been in Hogwarts, and as Frank was a year older than most of them, he had graduated before Alice's seventh year and was now training to be an Auror.

Alice's smile faltered a bit and she looked down. "He's fine. I think. I just…haven't had the chance to talk with him properly for a while. The last time I saw him was September first. He's been working every time we've had a Hogsmeade weekend and while we've been owling each other, there are just some things you cannot write in a letter…" She said gloomily.

Hermione smiled sympathetically and squeezed Alice's hand. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to meet soon. I can't even imagine how hard a long-distance relationship must be… But you shouldn't wallow in that today! You should have fun, right?" Hermione tried to cheer her up. Alice gave her a smile and a hesitant nod.

"Merlin's saggy pants! The day has come when Hermione Dumbledore urges someone to have fun!" Mary called with a teasing voice from her own bed.

Marlene, Mary and Alice laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes at her friends. "I'm not that disciplined."

Mary snorted. "Er…Yes you are. And so is Lils. You two are our little adorable rule-abiding bookworms." She said with a wink and slipped into her dress.

Mary wore a multi-coloured chiffon dress with a bright print pattern. Her dress was long and flowy, with a thin embellished belt and a sleeveless pleated bodice. The dress had a slightly plunging neckline, that continued on the other side with a low V-back. Mary looked absolutely gorgeous in it. Hermione briefly wondered, whether Remus would fall tail over teakettle when he'd see his date. She smiled at the pun she had just inwardly and accidentally made before she returned her focus to the conversation.

"Hey!" Lily started as she emerged from the bathroom, but eventually shrugged. "Yeah, Mary's probably right. We are a bit…methodical, I suppose." Mary and Marlene both snorted before Lily continued, "Although, you might even be a bit worse, Mione, since you tend to willingly go to the library every Sunday before sunrise." Lily said and smirked at Hermione. The girls laughed.

"Oh, sod off, the lot of you," Hermione said, biting away a grin as she threw a pillow at Lily. "For the record, I do not go there before sunrise." She grumbled and took her dress from the top of her trunk, where it was neatly folded. After putting her dress and heels on, she went to look at the whole ensemble in a mirror on the wall next to their bathroom. The girls had enlarged a simple full-length mirror to reach from floor to ceiling, filling the whole wall lengthwise as well. Now all of them could use it at the same time.

Hermione took in her appearance, and almost didn't recognise the girl looking back from the mirror wearing the fuchsia and silver gown. The back of the dress was open, and her sleek curls cascaded on her bare back. The rich satin A-line skirt reached to the floor, hiding her silver heels. One of the reasons she had bought the gown, was that the skirt had pockets. _Ever the reasonable one?_ She thought as she put her beaded bag in one pocket, and her wand to the other before she snuck a glance at the others.

Marlene was standing next to her and finishing her hairdo, looking like a model in her floor length, well-fitting black velvet gown. The dress had a sleeveless bodice, a plunging neckline which, Hermione admitted with a hint of bitterness, was filled _very_ becomingly. The sides and the back of her dress were open too. All in all, it was a very revealing dress, but she carried it off easily. Her golden locks were pulled in a simple up-do and she wore otherwise a light makeup, but her lips were painted in vibrant red.

"Wow… You look amazing, Marley." Hermione said admiringly to her, looking at her in the mirror.

She flashed a bright smile and eyed her. "You too, Dumbledore." She said with a wink.

"Ladies, shall we?" Marlene called and turned to the others behind her.

Lily was putting her golden earrings on, ready in her simple emerald, high neckline chiffon gown. Her dress was floor-length as well, and sleeveless, with spaghetti straps on the otherwise open back. She looked absolutely stunning. Her long auburn curls were pinned up, with some loose strands falling to frame her face. She had chosen a slightly heavier eye makeup than the rest of the girls, but it brought out her eyes nicely.

"Remember to take your masks," Lily reminded them as they started to move towards the door. The Gryffindors had decided to wear golden masks, Slytherins silver, Hufflepuffs black and Ravenclaws bronze.

* * *

As they descended the stairs and reached the common room, Hermione saw a group of handsome wizards clad in tasteful black dress robes and golden masks standing near the fire, chatting and laughing with each other. Like summoned, they all turned their heads to the girls.

Hermione saw James take a sharp breath as his eyes landed on his date. Even though James had been taking his distance from her lately, and Lily assuring there was nothing between them, they both still looked very pleased to be going with each other.

"Lily," James whispered as he approached the girls, his eyes locked into hers in a mix of awe and determination while the others eyed the scene in front of them expectantly.

Lily took a couple hesitant steps towards him. Both of them took their masks off. She swallowed nervously, her eyes sweeping up and down on James's body, her gaze finally landing on his hazel eyes. She let out a small puff of breath. "James," she said quietly.

James took her hand and tugged her closer, his eyes boring into hers with a smouldering look. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he closed the distance between their lips slowly, giving her time to back off if she so wished. She didn't. He kissed her hesitantly at first, just a brush of his lips against hers, and only deepened the kiss when Lily brought her arms around his neck, tangling them in his messy black hair, and pulling him closer to her. James let out a soft groan and pulled her firmly against him, his hands drifting lower on her back.

The others all watched the scene in a small shock, until Sirius cleared his throat loudly.

"As much as some of us would _love_ to watch you continue that, I think we all have a ball to get to, eh?" He said while smirking slyly at his mate. The others laughed quietly while James and Lily were both flushed red.

"Er…Yeah. The ball." James stammered awkwardly, ruffling his hair. He obviously hadn't thought to make that kind of a scene in front of everyone.

His cheeks glowing, he offered his arm to Lily, who took it graciously, even though still looking embarrassed. They started to head towards the portrait hole. Marlene and Alice sniggered as they followed the Head Boy and Girl, with Peter on their toe, leaving behind Remus, Sirius, Hermione and Mary. Hermione came to stand next to Sirius, who grabbed her from her hips, yanked her against him and proceeded to kiss her heatedly. At first, she squeaked and tried to push him away, but soon she melted into his touch, her fingers curling around his neck. He lifted her off her feet and then spun around, their lips still locked.

They parted and Sirius winked at Remus before he said teasingly, "Try to one-up on that, mate."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly, grabbed Sirius's arm and dragged him away from the common room, before he could sabotage the fragile confidence of his werewolf friend.

* * *

The Great Hall was transformed into an eerie but elegant place, with heavy black velvet curtains draping around the large windows, and all the existing furnishings covered with black tulle and red embellishments. The candles that flowed over the Great Hall were charmed black, bringing a dimmer light than the usual white ones. The house tables had been turned into several small round tables, which were scattered around the hall. Each round table was decorated with a pumpkin votive, while the long buffet table, which was situated where the Professors usually sat, was decorated with ornamental masquerade masks between the pots, drinks and servings. Behind the buffet table, Hermione could see an extension to the Great Hall; a vast dance floor with small alcoves on every wall that were hidden by similar heavy black curtains that framed the windows in the Hall.

Hermione grinned at Lily, who was standing with James near the doors that lead to the Hall. She smiled back at Hermione as she welcomed the students to the ball. Sirius winked at his best friend who smirked in return, before he led Hermione to one of the tables, where Alice and Peter were already seated. Marlene had chosen another table, where her date, a Hufflepuff boy, and his friends were situated. The Great Hall began to fill quickly.

"Can I get you anything, kitten? Something to drink, perhaps?" Sirius murmured to her ear as he helped her to her chair.

"Oh…sure. Thanks," She said and gave him a quick smile before he dashed off to the drinks table.

Alice smiled at her knowingly.

"What?" Hermione asked, slightly baffled.

"Oh, nothing. Just watching the it-couple of Hogwarts." She said with a fond smile.

Hermione turned to look at Lily and James who were still standing at the doors. "Yeah, well. It was a long time coming." She said with a chuckle, turning back to her friend.

"No, I meant you and Sirius, you daft." She said with a grin.

"Oh," Hermione muttered awkwardly, blushing slightly. Sirius appeared on her side a moment after with a couple of Butterbeers, just in time to see Remus and Mary approaching them.

"Well, well, well, look at that. The lone _wolf_ finally has company," Sirius drawled with a teasing smirk, eyeing the pair appreciatively. Remus lifted an unamused brow at his pun, while Peter sniggered and Hermione coughed loudly as her drink went down the wrong pipe. Sirius glanced at Hermione with a frown before turning back to his friend.

"What took you so long, mate?" He asked with a knowing smile.

"Sod off, Pads." Remus muttered, while his cheeks turned red.

Mary however, was not at all embarrassed, as she stated, "Stayed for a snog, of course." She gave Sirius a wink and sat down.

Sirius barked a laugh and patted Remus on the back as he sat down next to him.

People started to make their way towards the buffet, and the seventh year Gryffindors followed suit after Lily and James had joined them. The food table was filled with all kinds of treats; pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, treacle tart, witch finger cookies with berry jam, as well as spooky scull shaped pot pies, stuffed peppers with carvings, pumpkin chowder, curried pumpkin and peas, with pumpkin bread and roasted chicken. Hermione almost heard her stomach rumbling when she took it all in. They filled their plates and moved on to the drinks table.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Sirius muttered next to her, as Hermione was about fill her goblet with punch from a large cauldron on the table.

Hermione frowned but then she understood, and turned to him with her eyes narrowed. "Sirius! Tell me you didn't spike the punch," She hissed to him.

"Don't know what you're talking about, love." He said with an innocent face as he reached towards another large cauldron that was filled with ice and bottles of Butterbeer and Pumpkin juice, snatching a bottle of Butterbeer and giving it to her. He took the goblet she had discarded on the table for himself and filled it with punch. Hermione sighed and retreated to their table, while Sirius huffed a laugh behind her.

Apparently, his little stunt went unnoticed, since all the teachers were enjoying their meals and chatting with each other at their tables. She did notice though, that Lily too was drinking Butterbeer, while the boys all had goblets of punch in front of them.

The music was playing on the background while they ate, but as the first students started to drift towards the dance floor, it grew louder. Eventually Hermione and her friends moved to the dance floor, where Remus danced with Mary, James with Lily, Hermione with Sirius and Peter with Alice. They danced to several songs, switching partners every now and then. Hermione couldn't recall the last time she'd had so much fun as she was now having, dancing around with her friends. She vaguely remembered the Yule Ball in her fourth year, but even then, the fun had been short-lived.

Some time later, after visiting the ladies' room, which was also decorated accordingly by several spooky black spectral mirrors that were charmed with a silver hue, Hermione went to retrieve a Butterbeer from the drinks table. She snorted as she saw James and Sirius fooling around at the dance floor and took a sip of her drink.

"You look beautiful, Hermione."

She was startled by Regulus's voice as she hadn't noticed him standing next to her.

"Oh…Hi. Thanks." She said, a bit awkwardly. "You don't look so bad yourself." She said with a small smile as she eyed him. Regulus looked very handsome in his black dress robes and his silver mask. His mouth curved up a bit.

"Will you honour me with your hand for a dance?" He asked politely, ever the courteous pureblood.

Hermione lifted her brows slightly but nodded to him and put her drink on the table. He offered her his arm and when she took it, he led them towards the dance floor. She hoped that Sirius wouldn't mind her dancing with his brother, mainly because the music switched into a slow song the moment they walked onto the dance floor. It was a bit odd to go dancing with Regulus, even though they had been getting to know each other for the past month, as they always studied together on Saturdays or Sundays.

They usually talked about their school subjects, but sometimes Hermione would include him in on some bits of the Order business, at least the things she was allowed to tell him. Hermione reckoned it was a bit frustrating, to keep in mind who knew what of her affairs. Her thoughts were drawn back to the ball as she felt Regulus place his hand at her waist, and the other one taking her hand. He watched her with an unreadable expression as he led her on the dance floor. She had to give it to him – he was an amazing dance partner.

"What are you thinking?" She asked after a while, eager to break the tension she was feeling. She was slowly growing a bit uncomfortable under his intense stare.

He blinked a couple of times before he answered. "I was thinking of what else you are possibly keeping from everyone, besides the obvious Order business."

Hermione's brows shot up. "Oh. And what do you reckon?" She asked with a hint of challenge in her voice.

"That you are easier to read than you think." He said quietly, his eyes searching hers.

Hermione swallowed deeply and averted her eyes. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_

"I've made you uncomfortable." He said, still watching her expression. Hermione's eyes flickered back to his as he spoke. It was confusing to talk to him sometimes, since he usually had the indifferent mask in place, rarely letting it falter.

She huffed. "Yes, you have. You know I –" She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence before Sirius appeared behind his brother and placed his hand on Regulus's shoulder.

"Thanks, Reggie, for keeping my witch entertained." He said, smirking at his little brother and moving to stand between them. "May I cut in?"

"By all means, brother." Regulus said, eyeing Sirius with an equal smirk on his face. He glanced at Hermione, nodded to her and left without another word.

"Miss me?" Sirius asked with a wink, before he swept her away in a glorious waltz, making others look at their direction.

"Sirius you are attracting attention. Everyone is staring," She whispered sharply.

Sirius merely laughed. "Let them!" He said and twirled her on the dance floor, bumping to others. Hermione tried to scowl at him but she eventually caught his good mood.

After their dance, he took her hand and tugged her towards the back wall. They slipped inside an alcove and Hermione was suddenly a bit taken aback from what she saw – there were large windows in the alcove, and the view was beautiful.

"Wow, look at that." The sky was clear, she could see the stars and the moon, which was waning Gibbous.

"Yeah." Sirius said quietly, came to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's almost full moon."

Hermione snorted. "Don't be a prat. You know the full moon was a couple of days ago. I know about Remus." She said quietly.

Sirius tensed behind her. "You know?" He said reservedly, his grip on her tightening a bit. Hermione tilted her head to look him in the eye, with a sincere smile.

"I _know_. And I don't care about it. He's my friend." She whispered seriously.

Sirius lifted his brows in surprise, and watched her thoughtfully.

"Where did you come from, kitten?" He murmured with an awed voice while closing the distance between them, brushing her lips with his. She turned to face him, stroking his cheek with her fingers, following the angle of his jaw. His gaze flickered across her face, taking all the details in, before he kissed her again, his lips parting against hers. He licked the seam of her lips, and as Hermione opened her mouth, he slid his tongue deep into her mouth, tasting her hungrily. Sirius gave a muffled moan as she stroked her tongue against his, tasting him back.

His hands roamed all over her back and ribcage, his thumbs grazing her breasts through the fabric, making her let out a strangled sigh. Hermione thought she was going to burn inside out from his touch. She buried her hands in his hair, pulling him down, closer to her. A shudder racked through him; as if he simply relished in the need she felt for him, the way she threaded her hands through his locks and tried in vain to pull him closer to her.

Sirius nibbled at her bottom lip, and then licked her lips with small licks, finally sucking the swollen flesh into his mouth. She wanted to crawl into his drugging warmth, to let him continue cherishing her lips but the reality settled down – they were in a ball, in the middle of several people, after all. He seemed to remember it too, as he broke their kiss and rested his forehead against hers, calming his breath.

"Wanna take off?" He breathed, watching her under heavy lids.

She glanced at the party through the small crack between the curtains. It was apparently getting late, since there weren't that many people anymore.

"Yes." She smiled. "Let's find the others first, okay?"

"Yeah," He smiled and they went to search their friends.

* * *

They finally found James and Lily, in a heated rendezvous behind the curtains of another alcove. Sirius sniggered as he managed to interrupt them, muttering something about a "tit for tat."

James on the other hand wasn't that delighted of his friend's glee, and hexed Sirius's hair into dreadlocks. Hermione and Lily both burst in laughter, shutting up only when they saw Sirius's expression as he touched his head. He was horrified.

He quickly conjured a hand mirror and screamed.

"Not the hair! I can't even – You made it look like a dog's breakfast, mate!" Sirius moaned in panic, trying in vain to smooth his locks in place. James snorted, while Hermione and Lily tried to supress their grins.

"Charm it back." Sirius demanded with a hint of worry on his serious face.

James smirked. "Nope. Maybe you'll learn something." He chuckled and added. "Gotta keep the _dog_ on his leash."

Sirius growled.

"You're one to talk, arsehole, since you can't apparently keep your own dog in a leash," Sirius said with a pointed look at the bulging in James's slacks, smirking when James averted his eyes and shifted embarrassedly, while Lily blushed furiously.

"Wanker," James muttered to his friend, who smirked back at him triumphantly.

Hermione tried not to snigger at their banter and instead looked at Lily, who was smoothing her gown and eyeing the party, with her cheeks flaming and a slight worry in her eyes, probably fearing that someone had seen her acting like that in public. Hermione smiled at her and nodded her head towards the party.

"We were thinking about leaving. Do you want to stay or come with us?" She asked, while James and Sirius were glaring at each other next to them.

Lily glanced at James, who said to her, "I'm good to go. You?"

"Sure, let's leave. I'll just go and inform McGonagall that we are going." Lily said, glad to escape the embarrassing incident.

James smiled fondly as his date headed towards their Head of House, and after a moment she came back. "We are good to go." She informed and they left the Great Hall, and started to ascend the stairs towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"Did you guys see Pete? Or Remus?" James asked, looking over his shoulder mainly at Hermione, since Sirius was still looking at his mate grumpily for not charming his hair back to normal.

"Oh…Actually no, we didn't. I didn't see any of our dorm mates there either. Perhaps they are all sleeping already? Or maybe they are outside?" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Yeah…" James muttered and they stayed silent for the rest of their walk.

Hermione couldn't help but grin every time she glanced at Sirius and his hair. Truthfully, he could totally pull off the dreadlocks. It seemed that any hairstyle would suit him. _Maybe his face was just that perfect,_ Hermione thought, engrossed in his looks.

As they entered the empty common room, Hermione and Lily went to check their dorm for their roommates. Only Alice was there, sleeping soundly in her bed. Both girls changed quickly into a more comfortable attire, Hermione into her yoga pants and a camisole and Lily into her nightgown and her dressing gown. They tiptoed back to the common room, where James and Sirius were lounging by the fire, smirking at each other.

"Well, Mary and Marley are missing. What about Remus and Pete?" Lily asked, as she perched herself on the arm of the couch on which James was stretched out. Hermione came to stand next to Sirius, who was sprawled in an armchair. He snatched her hand and pulled her to sit on his lap.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Well, the guys are in our dorm. Marley is probably with her current heartthrob and Mary is with hers."

Hermione and Lily gave each other confused looks, while James and Sirius eyed them with wide grins. Then it dawned on them, and both girls gaped at Sirius in shock.

"Mary is in Remus's bed?!" Lily shrieked in horror.

Sirius snorted. "So what? Hermione sleeps in my bed every now and then," He said nonchalantly.

Lily turned her shocked gaze to her friend, gaping at her. "Hermione?!" Lily squeaked with a high-pitched voice.

Hermione shrugged uncomfortably, while Sirius and James clearly enjoyed watching the scene in front of them. "I, uh…yeah. Sometimes. I thought you knew though…" She muttered awkwardly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

Lily huffed and moved to sit in an empty armchair, folding her hands and staring ahead with an annoyed look.

"Lily…Come off it. It's not like Hermione is there every night." James said carefully to her. "Besides, can't we just celebrate a little that Moony has finally a bird in his bed, eh?"

Lily glanced at James, her features softening. She was happy for Remus and Mary, of course, since they were both was her dear friends.

"I guess so…" Lily said with a small smile to the others.

Sirius grabbed a Firewhiskey bottle from the floor. "That's sorted then!"

Hermione arched a brow at the bottle. Sirius scoffed. "The least Moony can do after kicking us out for the night, is serving us drinks," He said with a mischievous grin, and then leaned towards the table, holding Hermione by her waist with his other hand and poured the liquid into four glasses with the other.

"Hang on…You said that Peter is in there too?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Yeah, he apparently passed out after too much punch, so they didn't move him away…"

"And you are banned for the night? Why?" Lily asked incredulously.

James looked a bit uncomfortable, while Sirius's mouth kept quirking up.

"They, uh…you know…He's getting his end way…" James muttered to Lily.

Hermione was a bit surprised at the news, as she had thought Mary had gone there merely to sleep, but they were actually hitting the sack. Apparently, Lily still hadn't grasped the idea, since she was looking at James with confusion written all over her face.

Sirius sighed exasperatedly. "You know, Lily, for someone so bright, you are not that fast. They are getting stuffed. You know, bonking. Having a bit of 'How's ya' father'. Getting a leg over. Rogering. Shagging." He said, smirking at the redhead's shocked expression. Lily's eyes were widened comically and she glanced towards the boys' dormitory, and then back at them. Her face became red with embarrassment and she looked like she was going to say something but refrained.

Instead, Lily took a glass of Firewhiskey from the round table and downed it in a single gulp. The others chuckled and followed suit, toasting for Remus after Sirius refilled Lily's glass.

After another shot, Lily watched Hermione and Sirius with her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So, are you two having sex?"

Sirius spluttered to his glass as he was about to take a sip of his drink, while Hermione and James snorted.

"No, we're not." Hermione mumbled defiantly.

Sirius coughed with a silent 'yet'. James laughed and Hermione slapped Sirius on the arm, scowling at him.

"And you are a virgin?" Lily asked from her friend bluntly, ignoring the uncomfortable look Hermione was giving her, and the clearing of a throat that came from James's direction. Sirius watched the girls with an intrigued expression.

Hermione's face burned as she gave Lily an incredulous look. "Yes! And can we not openly discuss my non-existent sex life in front of them?!" She snapped and glanced at the boys.

Sirius bit back a grin behind her, sipping his drink while Lily merely shrugged, muttering "Just checking."

They changed the topic and talked about the ball Lily and James had organised, and soon everyone was yawning, as it was already way past midnight. James went to check their dorm, finding the new couple fast asleep. He soon came down the stairs to inform the others.

"We're good to go, mate." He said to Sirius, who stretched, Hermione still sitting on his lap. He stood up, taking her with him and pulling her into a slow kiss. Hermione lifted her brows as she saw Lily and James already heading towards the boys' dormitory, together.

"Well, at least she's not wasting any time, eh?" Sirius whispered to her teasingly.

Hermione scowled at him. "Git."

"Come with me?" He asked, eyeing her unsurely, taking a couple of steps towards his dorm.

Hermione chewed the corner of her mouth before she spoke. "Okay. But just for sleeping. I'm very tired. Just so you know." She said before following him to his dorm.

He turned to look at her and waggled his brows. "Promises, promises," He muttered, a wide grin on his lips.

* * *

 **October 30th 1977 (Sunday)**

The next morning, Hermione was leaving the boys' dormitory while the others were still asleep, after saying her good mornings to Sirius with a kiss to his cheek and him mumbling something incoherent back to her.

She glanced back before she opened the door to the staircase, chuckling silently at the scene. Remus and Mary were wrapped around each other in his bed, and Lily was sleeping in James's bed under the covers, while James was stretched next to her on top of the covers, both fully clothed. Sirius on the other hand was sprawled on his bed half naked, the comforter kicked out from the bed, him taking every inch available now that she had left, while Peter was snoring behind his closed curtains.

Hermione made her way to the girls' dormitory to have a quick shower and a change of clothes. She then headed to the Great Hall to have some breakfast. As Hermione reached the Great Hall, she realised the time – the breakfast was almost over. _How in the name of Merlin had she managed to sleep that late?_ It was nearly nine, and the small scattering of students who had managed to get up for breakfast after the ball last night was drifting out from the Great Hall.

Regulus was amongst them and when he saw her, he came towards her with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"You've managed to surprise me at last, Dumbledore. I think I've never seen you coming this late to breakfast."

Hermione huffed. "Well, there was a party last night, after all." She muttered, trying in vain to ignore the grumbling her stomach was giving her.

"Let's go then," He said, jerking his head towards the hall – the opposite direction where the library was.

"Where?" Hermione asked in bewilderment.

"You don't honestly expect me to study next to you when your stomach is making the most vulgar sounds?" He grinned and started walking down the corridor.

"Prat." She muttered under her breath, but decided to follow him down the staircase.

"A prat who is getting you some breakfast," He said lightly as they turned to the corridor, approaching the painting of a bowl of fruit.

"You been here before?" He asked while tickling the pear in the painting and opening the door-knob that appeared.

"Er…yeah." She said absently, stepping in and watching the army of house-elves in work, cleaning up the remainings of the breakfast. She smiled as she passed the four long wooden tables that stood there. At the moment they were almost empty, as the House-elves were levitating the plates, cutlers and cups to the side tables for cleaning. Most of the elves were working, but some stood around the kitchen, beaming, bowing and curtsying as Hermione and Regulus walked past them.

"Regulus, sir!" Few elves squeaked, beaming at him. He nodded to them and sat down by the fire, in an armchair. Hermione joined him and instantly, four house-elves came up behind them, carrying a large tray with a teapot and two cups and a plate of biscuits.

"Totty, Miss Dumbledore here missed her breakfast, unfortunately. Could it be possible for you to whip up something for her?" He kindly asked from one of the elves.

The elf looked happy and bowed to them. "Of course, sir. Miss," the elf replied and then the elves swiftly went on their way.

Hermione was a bit amazed by his warm behaviour with the elves - he was a Black after all, and she knew what his family thought of magical creatures. But then she remembered Kreacher and what Regulus had done with the Horcrux, how he himself had drunk the poison so that his house-elf would be safe. She studied him with a small smile.

Regulus averted his eyes and cleared his throat. "What?" He asked as he glanced at her again, and saw her still smiling at him, with a smile that Hermione reckoned, made him a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, nothing. Just remembered something." She said and her gaze turned to another tray the house-elves were placing on the table. They bowed again and Hermione and Regulus both thanked them before the elves retreated.

She stared at the tray in awe; it was filled with food – fried eggs, smoked bacon, thick sausages, grilled tomatoes, fried mushroom, toast and baked beans. There was also a small pot of porridge and a cup full of fresh berries, and finally, a plateful of scones with clotted cream, Chelsea buns and an assortment of confectionery.

"Wow…" Hermione said with her eyes widened in surprise. "I can't eat all that." She whispered anxiously to Regulus who smiled at her.

"Just eat, Hermione." He said and poured tea in their cups before he snatched a scone from the tray.

Hermione ate in silence, and contemplated what he had said to her the previous night. She was still a bit perplexed by his words and wanted to know exactly what he had meant.

"What was that yesterday?" She asked after finishing her breakfast, which was not even near half of the food that was brought to her. She glanced at him, while she took a sip from her teacup.

He watched her for a moment, before he spoke. "Nothing."

She gave him a quizzical brow and a small smile tugged his lips.

"I merely stated the fact that you are very easy to read. I know you have secrets."

Hermione frowned at him as she took a biscuit from the tray. "What do mean _read_? Are you a Legilimens?" She said lightly. When he didn't say anything, her frown deepened. "Regulus?" She said carefully.

He locked his eyes with hers, and suddenly she felt the familiar, albeit uncomfortable sensation of someone probing her mind. She gasped loudly and tore her gaze away. Her teacup shattered on the floor as she jumped up from her chair and took a couple of steps away from him while breathing heavily. He followed quickly, after mending the teacup.

"Hermione," He said, coming closer and watching her with regret. "I apologise. I shouldn't have done that." He said sincerely. When she didn't reply or even look at him, but merely kept her eyes fixed on the floor, he took her hand gently between his.

"Please."

Hermione blinked a couple of times, gathering her thoughts that were all over the place. _So…Regulus was a Legilimens? What the hell? How?_ And most importantly, _what the hell had he just seen?_

She turned to him, and anger started to place the shock and confusion. She snatched her hand away and glared him with malice.

"Don't fucking _ever_ do that to me again!" She hissed at him angrily, fear surging inside her.

She wanted to ask what he had seen but she didn't want to talk about it there, in the open. He'd been inside her head for mere seconds, but there was still the possibility that he had seen something dangerous. She eyed him suspiciously as he gave her a deeply apologetic look.

"Of course not. I'm so sorry, Hermione." He said quietly.

She huffed and sat down, and Regulus followed her example. A couple of house-elves appeared to clean the table and asked if they wanted something else.

"We're good, thanks Mipky. The breakfast was delicious," Regulus said, smiling to the elf. Hermione blinked at him in awe, forgetting already her anger towards him. _He knew the elves by their names?!_

As they left the kitchen, she couldn't help but ask about his relationship with the elves.

"You seem oddly familiar with the house-elves…why is that?" She asked as they walked up the stairs.

Regulus glanced at her, shrugged and said, "I just think they are undervalued…"

As they reached the Entrance Hall, he took a glance outside from the windows and his expression brightened.

"Come on," He said, tugging her by her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see," He said with a small smile.

Hermione was again surprised by his mood swings – if you could call it that. He was all the sudden a young, playful boy, his eyes shining with glee. Just a handful of minutes ago, his emotions were closed behind the walls he kept around his mind. Either way, out of curiosity she followed him outside through the front doors.

Hermione shivered as the cold wind hit her – she was wearing her light robes after all. But what she saw there stopped her. It was snowing.

Regulus turned to watch her as a bright smile lifted her mouth, lighting her whole face. His own smile faltered slightly as his eyes roamed over her face. Then he blinked in confusion and looked at snowy grounds.

"Oh Godric, it's snowing!" She bounced happily.

Regulus smiled at her and asked, "Well? Shall we?" as he eyed her with a challenge in his eyes.

Hermione watched him incredulously. "Have you gone completely off your trolley? I don't have my cloak on, and neither do you!"

He lifted his brows pointedly before flicking his wand. Her robes transfigured into a beautiful winter cloak with a warm hood, completed with matching mittens and a scarf. He charmed his own attire as well.

"Coming?" He smirked and stepped outside. Hermione shook her head, feeling a mix of confusion and awe.

There were several inches of snow, and it was all untouched, since most of the students hadn't even risen up from their beds. Hermione followed Regulus further to the paved grounds, scooping a bit of snow and throwing it at his back. It was just too good to resist.

Regulus stopped as the snow hit him, he turned slowly and watched her defiantly. He quickly scooped up snow and hurled it at her direction. Squeaking, she dodged his throw and burst in laughter.

"You have to be better than that, Black!" She shouted tauntingly, throwing another snowball at his direction. They continued their one-on-one snowball fight until Hermione saw several others joining the outside air and their snowball fight. Soon they had formed opposite teams with Hermione, James, Remus and Mary in one, and Regulus, Sirius, Peter and Alice in the other. James, Sirius and Regulus, all playing Quidditch, and being athletes, were of course excellent in a snowball fight. Although Hermione came a good second with her quick reflexes learnt during the war.

When the lunchtime was in hand, the group decided to end their match before they missed it altogether. They retreated back to the castle, laughing merrily with their faces red and their cloaks filled with wet blotches of snow. It was a good day.


	16. Birthdays

**A/N:** Here's an early update to you! Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting the story :)

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Birthdays**

 **November 1st 1977 (Tuesday)**

It was the morning after Halloween and the Gryffindors were having breakfast in the Great Hall. The boys were talking about Sirius's 18th birthday, which was next Thursday.

"So, kitten, have you got a birthday present for me already?" Sirius grinned at Hermione and gave her a soft nudge. She was sitting next to him, as usual, while Lily and James were situated on the other side of the table, with Remus and Mary beside them. Peter sat next to Sirius, while Alice and Marlene sat next to Hermione.

Hermione gave him an amused huff. "You'll just have to wait and see I guess," she said with a secretive look.

Sirius smiled at her and took a piece of toast.

"Well, I for one think we've managed to come up with the best present there is for our Pads here," James said and winked at his best mate. Sirius, Remus and Peter all sniggered and eyed each other slyly.

"Do I even want to know, James?" Lily asked with a hint of warning in her voice. "Do I need to remind you that you are a Head student?"

James merely kissed her on her temple and grinned at her. "We'll see, love."

Despite slightly doubting what the boys were up to, Lily eyed James affectionately and gave him a warm smile and kissed him on the cheek. Hermione grinned at her friends, who were so obviously engrossed with each other, finally having confessed their feelings to one another, and this time nothing was standing between them. Hermione was happy for them both, as it was something she had been looking forward to witnessing. There had been a small period of time where she had feared that she'd somehow changed the outcome of their relationship, since James was dating another girl when Hermione had first met them. But now it seemed that the events on the beginning of the term had been forgotten for good.

"You're officially together then?" Marlene asked from Lily and James with a sly grin, while pouring herself coffee. She had had her fair share of fun teasing Lily about her obvious infatuation with the messy haired Gryffindor. Needless to say, Lily had been in denial for some time.

"Yeah, she's my witch." James said confidently, puffing his chest a bit at the same time. Lily blushed as he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Sirius smirked at Hermione, who tried to suppress the grin that was threatening to spread across her face. She glanced at Remus and Mary who were eating in silence. When the girls had talked on Sunday evening about the previous night, the others had badgered Mary to confess every sordid detail of her night before. Although she usually had no qualms of talking straightforwardly, she turned out to be quite adamant on this occasion.

She had merely told her friends that she and Remus had talked, and that they had decided to see where their relationship was going. Hermione made a mental note to ask Remus about it later, when they'd be having Ancient Runes together.

"About birthdays…Hermione," Lily said, changing the subject away from her and James, "When's yours?" She asked curiously.

Hermione cringed inwardly. Her birthday had of course been on September 19th, but she hadn't exactly told anyone about it. Only Aberforth and the Headmaster had sent her presents; her 'father' had given her a beautiful leather-bound journal along with a large eagle feather quill, and her 'uncle' had given her a unique copy of a children's tale, the Fountain of Fair Fortune, in runic script.

"Er…September 19th…" She muttered, looking hesitantly at the others who all were more or less gaping at her.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius asked with a slightly affronted look on his face.

"Yes, I would like to know that, too." Lily said pointedly, eyeing Hermione with an expectant look. The others muttered their agreements. Remus eyed Hermione with a deep frown, supposedly remembering that they had talked about her age at some point, but not actually shared details about their birthdays.

Hermione gave her friends a sheepish smile. "Well…I was new here and didn't want you to…you know, feel compelled to do something." She said quietly.

James frowned at her. "We wouldn't have felt compelled. In fact, why don't we celebrate Hermione's birthday at the same time as Sirius's?" James said, looking at the others inquiringly. Everyone nodded enthusiastically. James turned to Hermione and lifted his brows in a questioning look.

"Fine," She grumbled. "But no presents."

"Deal." James said.

"Damn. I'm not the oldest anymore." Sirius said pouting, like he had just figured it out that Hermione's birthday was actually before November. "Well, kitten. You win me by almost two months." He said, smirking at her.

"Er…" Hermione said awkwardly. Remus snorted into his tea.

"Pads…She's a year older than us." Remus said, and everyone burst in laughter. All but Sirius, who gaped at his witch.

"Merlin…" He muttered, not finding enough words to describe his astonishment.

Hermione shrugged innocently, patting Sirius on the shoulder.

"When are all of your birthdays?" Hermione asked from the others, intrigued. She didn't know about anyone's birthday, not even Remus's. She vaguely remembered the cemetery at Godric's Hollow, when she and Harry had visited his parents' grave. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind, not wanting to go there right now.

"Mine is March 27th, Remus's is the 10th. Lily's birthday is January 30th and Pete's is July 12th," James explained, and Lily glanced him in surprise at the mention of her birthday, clearly not thinking that he remembered it. James winked at her, looking pleased with himself.

"Mine's July 1st," Mary said.

"And mine is June 25th," Alice quipped from beside Hermione.

Sirius glanced at Marlene. "Marley's is February 14th." He said with a knowing smirk.

Marlene rolled her eyes before she spoke to Hermione, "Probably the only birthday he remembers, besides his own. Trust me, don't hold your breath." She said and winked at her.

Hermione chuckled and decided to ignore the small pang of jealousy she felt. They continued their talk until it was time to go to the first class, which was double Transfiguration, followed by double Charms after lunch and Ancient Runes after that. Tuesday's were tough.

* * *

 **November 4th 1977 (Friday)**

Hermione was alone in the library on Friday evening, since her friends were all otherwise occupied, some more than others. The boys were in detention, cleaning the trophy room. Lily was on Heads' business, organising patrol charts, while Mary and Alice were hanging at their dorm. Marlene was yet again with her current boyfriend somewhere in the castle.

Hermione hadn't researched anything regarding the Horcruxes in a while, since she really hadn't had the time between all her other activities. Feeling rather guilty of letting her focus drift like that, she wandered through the restricted section in the quiet library and decided to take a look into the poisons, as they were already practicing a way to destroy the vile objects.

"Didn't figure you for one to spend time in here." A voice spoke behind her.

Hermione whirled around to see Regulus leaning against the shelves near her, staring at her with a nonchalant expression.

"Merlin, you have to stop creeping up on me like that!" Hermione hissed at him. A smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes wandered down to her hands, which were clutching a couple of books. His expression went cold.

"What are those?" He asked, almost demanded with a stony expression.

"W-What? Nothing. Nothing for you to be concerned about," She stammered quickly and shifted her school bag to cover the books. _Way to be subtle, Hermione_ , she thought and rolled her eyes inwardly.

Regulus lifted his brows, came closer to her and wrenched the books from her hands, holding them up so that she couldn't reach for them. He glanced at the books and frowned a bit.

"Hey!"

"Nothing? Why are you looking into this?" He said quietly, looking at her searchingly, confusion written over his face. She first averted her eyes, but soon looked back at him defiantly.

"What? Going to read my mind again?" She asked coldly. His posture faltered, and he frowned at her.

"Of course not. You told me not to." He muttered, giving the books back to her and taking a step back.

She sighed and rubbed her temple, her other hand holding the books. She put them into her bag and turned to him. "Come with me," she said with a serious voice, turning around and exiting the library, not waiting him to follow her.

He did follow her though, with a hint of annoyance in his features. They eventually reached the seventh floor. Hermione started to pace in front of a wall, and Regulus watched her in bewilderment.

"What is this, Hermione?"

"Shush!" She snapped at him. Regulus narrowed his eyes to her but said nothing. His brows lifted in surprise when a door appeared in front of them.

She opened the door and motioned for him to step in after her. He followed her in and stared at the room in shock. They were in the Slytherin common room. Well, the replica of it, at least.

Regulus's gaze trailed over the long, low-ceilinged, dungeon-like room, over the high-backed chairs and the antique sofa next to the fireplace – and Hermione wondered if the place was in fact exactly what he'd seen before he had left towards the library, or did he notice some changes in it.

"Where are we?" He asked cautiously as he turned his gaze back to her.

"Isn't it a bit obvious?" Hermione asked cheekily, smirking at him.

"Well, you tell me. I know this is not my common room, since the place is empty, and something doesn't…feel right." He muttered while walking towards the fireplace, to examine the intricate details of the carved mantelpiece.

Hermione smiled and sat down on the sofa. "Had to try though?"

Regulus turned and came to sit next to her, staring at her again with a stony expression. Hermione shifted awkwardly from his close presence.

"This is the Room of Requirement. The room can turn into practically anything you ask from it." She said nonchalantly. "But that's not the reason I brought you here. I needed a place where no one would be snooping on our conversation."

Regulus gave her a small nod, his eyes moving carefully between hers, searching for something.

"You are a Legilimens?"

"I thought we already established that." He said with an arched brow.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Okay then. How? Since when?"

He looked at her with a thoughtful expression before he answered. "In my family, we are taught at young age to close one's mind against those who might seek access to it," he said quietly.

"You mean Occlumency?" She asked, looking at him searchingly.

Regulus nodded. "Some in my family are accomplished in delving into the minds of others and navigating through them as well." He said and watched her carefully. "My cousin taught me."

Hermione flinched. _Bellatrix?_ She saw a small flicker of realisation in his eyes. Her blood went cold.

"What did you see?" She whispered anxiously. She knew he had seen something when he had used Legilimency against her the other day.

He stared into her eyes, and Hermione could only look back to him pleadingly, hoping he wouldn't disappoint her. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't shake off. His emotions were almost always masked by the walls of his mind, but sometimes, like right that moment, she could see something real in them. Something raw, something that made her feel a bit sad. She blinked, and the next moment that something had faded away, replaced by a hint of exhaustion.

He sighed. "I saw her," he whispered.

Hermione hung her head and focused on her breathing. So…he'd seen her being tortured by his cousin. Was he close to her? What did he think of it? Did he realise his cousin was several years older in her mind than she probably now looked?

"You want to talk about it?" He asked quietly, with a small frown framing his eyes.

She turned to look at him incredulously, anger rising in her chest. "What? You mean my torture?" She said coldly, and he looked away, flinching a little.

They were quiet for a while until she muttered, "I'm sorry. But I don't want to talk about it. Not now at least."

Regulus nodded slowly, looking at the fireplace where the fire was dancing merrily. "I saw the Fiendfyre," he said.

Hermione gasped and he turned back to her from the sound. She stared at him with a hint of alarm in her eyes.

"What else?" She whispered again, her voice trembling.

Regulus gave her a strained look. "I…Nothing. Nothing else." He said and looked into her eyes with a mix of reassurance and pity.

She instantly knew he had seen something else, and she didn't have to guess two times what it was. She saw it from the way he was looking at her, with sadness, with confusion, with anger in his eyes. He'd seen Greyback.

Still, Hermione merely gave him a relieved nod and took in a calming breath. His eyes were darker now, and he stared at her with a piercing look. Hermione shifted under his gaze.

"What about the books?" He asked finally.

"I can't tell you everything, at least not yet. But…I'm learning the Fiendfyre curse." She said and his brows lifted in surprise before she continued, "And I'm not doing it to harm anyone, I promise." She said, her brown eyes shining with sincerity. _Well, except Voldemort_ , she thought wryly.

Regulus's eyes moved over her face, studying her carefully. Hermione couldn't stop herself from staring back at him, fascinated by the different shades of grey in his gaze, by his inscrutable expression, and by his ability to communicate with his eyes only. A short moment after, their eyes met and Regulus stiffened and stood up abruptly, nearing the fire again.

"I believe you." He muttered, not turning to her. She watched his cold exterior with bewilderment. _What was he thinking? Why was his behaviour changing like that?_

Hermione took a deep breath. "Reg…" She said and he tensed as she addressed him like that, like…they knew each other. And perhaps they did. "You can't tell anyone about this. Not even Sirius. You know why…" She whispered. And Hermione knew that he'd understand. They both knew that Sirius would've never let her go to the meetings if he knew what dangers she was facing.

Regulus huffed softly, staring at the fire. "I won't tell anyone, Hermione." He said quietly, still not facing her.

She let out a small sigh of relief.

"Where is my brother anyway? He'll probably wonder why you are spending your time on a Friday night with me, instead of him." He said, glancing at her finally with an inquisitive expression.

"Oh…Sirius is in detention." She said, wincing as she saw the irritation flash in his eyes.

Yesterday, it had been Sirius's 18th birthday, and as James had promised, they'd had a present for him, indeed. The Marauders had somehow managed to slip Bulbadox powder in the bedsheets and clothing in the Slytherin house, making every last student in said house wearing a scattering of boils the next morning – the morning of the raven-haired Gryffindor's birthday. The boils – and the obvious itching – had appeared only after the students had sat at their table in the Great Hall, probably because of an added charm. Hermione was actually quite impressed by their spellwork, but wasn't going to admit it to the boys. The Marauders had howled in laughter, with Sirius stating that the boil-faced Slytherins had been the best birthday present he had received in years.

That was also how they got caught. McGonagall was handing them detentions right after their laughter had died. _Well, at least she had let them enjoy their prank first…_

"Do not remind me. I've suffered enough as it is." Regulus said, rolling his eyes.

Hermione snorted. "Oh? Poor little Regulus has suffered in the hands of his older brother." she said teasingly, grinning at him.

He tried to suppress the smile that was tugging his lips. "Come on, it's late. I'll walk you to your quarters." He said, giving her a smile.

* * *

 **November 5th 1977 (Saturday)**

The group of Gryffindors was walking together towards Hogsmeade, amongst the other students. James and Lily were on their first official date, with Remus and Mary on a sort-of-a-date, at least according to Mary. Hermione was visiting Ab by herself at first, and then Sirius would fetch her to grab lunch with Peter, Alice and Marlene at the Three Broomsticks. On Thursday morning, Sirius had found a large parcel amongst his birthday gifts from his friends and James's parents. Hermione had given him a motorcycle helmet for his birthday. She smiled as she remembered his puzzled face when he had met her at the common room before breakfast.

 _"Kitten…You gave me a helmet?" He said, looking at her perplexedly._

 _Hermione smirked at him. "Yes?"_

 _"I love it. Thank you. But…Why?" He said while taking a hold of her waist and nuzzling her neck. Her breath hitched and it took a while for her to remember that he was expecting an answer._

 _"Well…You said the other day that you're going to buy a motorcycle? I thought it would be only suitable to take care of your safety, since I doubt you yourself would do it." She said, grinning at him._

 _Sirius huffed a laugh and nodded to her. "Perhaps. Although it might take some time before I actually buy the thing, you know, being disowned and all," He winked at her. Hermione smiled at him, thinking that perhaps he might get the motorcycle sooner than he expected…_

Now he actually had enough money to buy a motorcycle for himself if he wanted, since he had received a large amount of money from his uncle. His uncle had sent him a letter on his birthday, stating that he was leaving an early inheritance for him, as he thought it would be time for Sirius to move into his own place, and thus move on with his life.

Nevertheless, Hermione had a surprise for him. She had come across an old motorcycle, lying broken in the shed in the garden of Hog's Head. She had asked about it from Ab, who had merely said that a patron had wanted to trade it for a glass of Firewhiskey. Aberforth knew it was reparable, but he hadn't had the time to fix it. Eventually he had tossed the thing in the shed and forgotten about it. Hermione had asked if she could by any change buy it from him, as she thought it would be a suitable present for Sirius's birthday. Ab had merely shaken his head and told her to go for it.

As they headed towards the village, Sirius and Hermione walked side by side, with the two new couples in front of them, and the rest of their group behind them.

"I really hope we are not that disgusting, kitten." He said in a low voice and shuddered, while watching James lift Lily's hand to his lips while they walked, giving it a chaste kiss. The couple glanced at each other adoringly every now and then.

"You're exactly like that, Pads." Remus quipped, looking at them over his shoulder, nothing going past his wolfish hearing. "No, scratch that…you're worse than that. A couple of closet saps." He said with a wide smile, while Hermione and Sirius both scowled at him and James, who was busy sniggering to the conversation.

Sirius huffed. "I'm not a sap," he muttered quietly.

"You are," Hermione said with a grin, and pecked him on the cheek.

He leaned closer to her. "I'll show you a sap, witch," He grumbled in her ear, pinching her bum and making her squeak in surprise. Remus snorted in front of them and resumed back to his conversation with Mary.

As they reached the village, Hermione kissed Sirius goodbye and waved to the others before marching towards the Hog's Head. Ab was behind the bar, wiping the dirty counter with an equally dirty rag.

"Hi Ab," Hermione greeted him with a smile, and sat on a barstool.

"Mione," Ab grunted. Hermione was somewhat used to his Neanderthal ways, and knew he was actually happy to see her. "Shall we go upstairs? I'll open the pub in a few hours." He said, motioning towards the door that lead upstairs.

"Sure," Hermione said, hopping off the stool and following him to their living quarters.

As they settled in the sitting room, Ab summoned tea and biscuits for them. Hermione told him everything that had happened since the last time they'd seen each other, which was almost a month ago.

"Still with the Black boy? Going to introduce him to me at some point?" Ab asked teasingly, his brows lifted expectantly.

Hermione laughed and said, "Actually, he will come by later to get me for lunch, and to meet you."

Hermione swore she heard him snigger behind his teacup.

"Ab…Promise you'll be nice to him, okay?" She asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

She knew by now that Aberforth was a righteous and unprejudiced man, but she also knew that he liked to provoke and tease others. Not her that much, probably because he felt he was responsible of her or maybe he was protecting her. Or so she reckoned.

"I make no promises," He said and winked at her. Hermione rolled her eyes with mild amusement.

Ab proceeded to inform her about the events at the pub during the past month, as well as asking her about Christmas.

"What are your plans for Christmas? Staying here? Or in the castle?"

"Oh…I'd like to stay with you, if that's okay? I thought we could go to the castle together though, for Christmas dinner?" She said, looking at him expectantly.

Ab grumbled something incoherently.

"Didn't catch that?" Hermione said, even though she had a strong suspicion what it was about.

He and Albus weren't exactly in speaking terms. After her arrival, when the relationship between the brothers had become clear to her, Hermione had been surprised that Albus had managed to persuade Aberforth to take her in in the first place. Neither of them had exactly spoken about it, but she guessed it was about their sister, based on what she had read from Skeeter's book, and the little she had gathered from between lines.

What had happened to their sister, happened a long time ago, and Hermione reckoned it was time to bury the hatchet. At least a part of it.

"You can go. I'll stay at the pub." He muttered, staring at the fire.

"Ab…I think it's time to let the past go. He _is_ your brother, after all… And I think he would be happily surprised if you made an appearance." She said carefully. He didn't answer, or look at her.

"Just this once? For me? I'd like to have a Christmas dinner there with you," She whispered, eyeing him pleadingly.

He turned slowly to look at her and finally gave a sigh. "Fine." He grumbled. "But don't expect me to change pleasantries. With anyone." He muttered stubbornly.

Inwardly, Hermione was whooping and cheering. _This had to be counted as an achievement._ On the outside, she merely gave him a smile. "Sure."

When the lunchtime was nearing, Ab opened the pub and Hermione dashed to her own room to get some of her belongings before Sirius would arrive. While she was in there, she heard voices downstairs, Sirius's voice and… _laughter. What?_ Soon there was a knock on her door, and she went to open it. Sirius leaned against the frame with a smug smile playing on his lips.

"How…What…?" Hermione mumbled in bewilderment. Had Ab actually laughed with Sirius AND let him come to her room upstairs? _What in the name of Merlin was going on?_

"You seem to be a bit surprised, kitten?" He said, chuckling as he entered her room and closed the door behind him.

Hermione blinked at him. "H-How did you manage to smooth down Ab so quickly? And how did he let you come to my room nonetheless?" She questioned as she stumbled back a bit when he approached her, with a predatory expression in his eyes.

Sirius shrugged innocently. "I'm just that good with parents," He said, took her hand and tugged her closer. "Scratch that. I'm good with other people's parents," He smirked and proceeded to kiss her chastely, while his hands feathered up and down her ribcage. She didn't miss the small flicker of sadness in his eyes as he mentioned his parents.

Her thoughts soon faded away as Sirius continued to kiss her with more intent, more thoroughly, and with more urgency, making her shiver with need and grab a fistful of his shirt. He pressed his lips against hers again, and again, slipping his tongue into her mouth, tasting her, teasing her until she was panting against his mouth.

When they kissed, it was like lighting a fire that was melting every part of her. He made her head spin, her knees weak, and the way he held her, so close to him, made her feel secure, made her want to hold on to him and not let go.

Sirius's hands drifted lower, stopping over her bum, slowly tracing her clothes with his fingers, before pressing them against her, pulling her flush against his pelvis. Hermione arched towards him, ground her hips to him, making him shudder and take deep breaths.

"Fuck." He said, panting, burying his face in her wild hair. There was so much sexual frustration between them that neither of them knew how long they could continue like that.

"Yep," Hermione whispered, equally breathless. "We should go before Ab comes to check on us." She said after a moment, worrying her lip. Even though Ab wasn't really her father, Hermione still respected him.

"Yeah. Just gimme a moment." Sirius said quietly, calming his breath and adjusting his slacks. He finally retreated, gave her a charming grin and took her hand in his.

They went downstairs, and Ab gave them a stern look. Sirius coughed awkwardly, while Hermione blushed. Chuckling, Ab jerked his head to the back door, which led to the garden.

"It's in the back." Ab grumbled and continued working behind the bar.

Sirius frowned at Hermione, who was already walking towards the door. He followed and was about to question her as he stepped outside behind her. "Hermione – "

He didn't get to finish. There was a motorcycle in front of him. An old, very dirty and obviously broken motorcycle. Hermione was grinning next to it, looking excitedly at his reaction.

"What…? How…?" He stammered, looking at Hermione in bewilderment. She smiled. It was the first time she had seen him that perplexed and speechless.

"I know it's a wreck, but it is reparable. And, isn't fixing it the best part?" She said, a bit uncertainly.

His eyes widened. "It's for me?" He asked with his brows lifted and a grin lifting his mouth.

"Yes. Who else?" Hermione laughed.

"Kitten…Hermione. Just…wow." He breathed, looking at her and the bike in awe. "It's brilliant!" He said with a laugh and took her in his arms, spinning her around. He put her back on the ground and kissed her soundly.

"Thank you." He said finally, looking into her eyes with admiration, the grin never leaving his face.

"You're welcome. Just…wear the helmet at all times you're riding it, okay?" She said, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Sure thing. And you know, kitten…No we have to get you a helmet too." He said, winking at her.

"Oh, no. I'm not getting on that death trap!" Hermione said determinately.

Sirius laughed, eyeing her with mischief. "We'll see." He gave a final kiss to her temple and together they left the pub, giving their goodbyes to Ab and heading towards the Three Broomsticks to meet their friends.

* * *

As promised, the seventh year Gryffindors held a party in favour of Sirius's and Hermione's birthdays later that night. This time, as the evening turned into night and all but the seventh years went to bed, the group skipped the drink or dare –games, and just sat amongst each other near the fire, telling funny stories about Sirius. Not forgetting the Firewhiskey, of course.

"Okay I'll start." Alice said, sniggering. "You remember in our fifth year, when you guys figured out a way to get into the girls' dorm?" She asked, looking at the Marauders. The boys nodded, while Hermione looked a bit suspicious and the other girls laughed. Sirius rolled his eyes with amusement.

"Well, actually, it was Sirius who sneaked to our dorm one night, probably to stalk Marley, or something. Anyways, when he walked further into the room, Lily attacked him and beat him with a book." Alice explained to Hermione, and everyone but Sirius laughed.

"He screamed like a girl and ran away, never returning after that." Lily said, a fond look on her face.

"Oi, Evans! How do you know I haven't returned since?" Sirius said, lifting his brows pointedly.

Lily merely rolled her eyes at him. "You wouldn't dare, Black." She said warningly.

Sirius chuckled and took a swig from the Firewhiskey bottle.

"My turn," Peter quipped from the couch, where he was sitting with Remus and Mary. "The guys already know this, but once, I think it was in our fourth year, Sirius was sure that he could fly his broom standing up." Peter grinned. "He tried to impress a couple of girls from Ravenclaw, but he hadn't bothered to practice it, so naturally, he landed on his arse straight away," He chuckled, the others smirking and sniggering with him.

Sirius shook his head with amusement before he spoke, "It wasn't all that pleasant, let me tell you…"

"Then there's the time when Pads broke into McGonagall's quarters and stole her knickers," James said, smirking at his mate and joining the laughter with the others.

Hermione stared at her boyfriend in shock, who lounged on the floor, leaning on the cosy armchair where she sat. "Godric…Why?" She asked incredulously.

Sirius turned to look at her with a grin and shook his head. "Don't actually remember. Might've been drunk at the time." He said with a small frown.

"But how did you manage to sneak into her quarters in the middle of the night? Wasn't she there, you know, sleeping?" Alice asked.

James and Sirius sniggered. "Well, it wasn't exactly night time then…" Sirius said playfully.

Hermione and Lily stared at him with dumbfounded looks while the others laughed.

"And then we get straight to the occasion when Sirius was passed out, naked, without his wand, in a broom closet on the first floor." Remus said, and everyone burst again in a howling laughter.

"Fucking hell, Moony…Way to shame a bloke," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"Do I even want to know why you ended up there, naked?" Hermione asked, while giggling with the others.

"Dunno. Was drunk as a lord." He shrugged, grinning widely.

"Okay, this has got to go to the top three at least," Mary said, after gulping the rest of her Butterbeer down. "It was last year. You showed up in a pink gown for breakfast." She started, laughing as she went. "Why was that? I mean, don't get me wrong. You looked absolutely stunning with your hair done and make up on." She snorted, as the others chortled with laughter, wiping tears of joy from their eyes. Hermione sniggered at the image in her head and shook her head.

"Well...As much as I enjoyed the little experiment, it was a bet. That I lost." Sirius said with a wry look, narrowing his eyes to James, who merely waggled his brows back at him from opposite of him, where he sat with Lily. " _And,_ it was a muggle prom dress." He said proudly. Lily and Hermione giggled.

"If we are talking about the top three, then we should also take into account Sirius's little acting stunt last year?" Lily said, eyeing James slyly. He groaned and hung his head.

Sirius burst in laughter. "Shite, I almost forgot that, mate!" Sirius said to James, grinning at him.

"Anyway, Sirius somehow managed to impersonate James, and then, in the middle of class he declared that he was gay." Lily explained to Hermione, sniggering and patting James's shoulder. Everyone laughed while James groaned and leaned his elbows on his knees, his hands covering his face in embarrassment.

"I think the top position goes to one particular Valentine's Day, am I right?" Marlene chuckled. Everyone howled in laughter, except Hermione. Sirius pinched her thigh before he started to tell the story.

"Last Valentine's, I sent a mild love potion infused chocolates to old Sluggie. He of course gobbled them up without hesitation." He explained to Hermione with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, Merlin…You actually poisoned a teacher..." Hermione said with her eyes widened in shock. Lily glared at Sirius, shaking her head in disappointment.

The boys sniggered and somehow Hermione knew there was more to it.

"Who was it he thought gave him the chocolates?" She asked cautiously.

"McGonagall."

The boys, Mary and Marlene laughed at the memory. Lily wasn't at all amused. Hermione was with her in this one.

"She, um…Didn't take it that well," Sirius said, biting back a grin. "Sluggie went to her at the breakfast and confessed his feelings towards her, in front of everyone. When he tried to snog her, she hexed him." He laughed, wiping tears from his eyes as he stood up from the floor.

"Circe, you are just…horrible." Hermione said, still a bit shocked by his accomplishments.

"Hey," he said, a daring look in his eyes as he leaned closer to her and murmured to her ear, "Love me, love my dog." Then he proceeded to kiss her, leaning his hands on the arms of the chair, cherishing her lips in a way that made her very aware of the fact that the others were watching them and therefore making her feel slightly embarrassed.

After he broke their kiss, he walked towards the boys' dormitory. "Goin' to see a man about a dog," He muttered to no one particular as he started to walk up the stairs. The others eyed Hermione knowingly, and she quickly changed the topic before any of them had the time to make remarks about their relationship.

"So how did James manage to convince everyone that it wasn't him confessing that he was…not that interested in girls?"


	17. Banned

**A/N:** Another chapter for you this week! And..er...you know... *cough* The raunchy version can be found from Ao3 under the same pen name... ;)

Happy reading!

And, well, please review :)

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Banned**

 **November 9th 1977 (Wednesday)**

"It's not working!" Hermione shouted in a mix of panic and frustration, as she faced a fiery beast with Dumbledore and Gideon Prewett. They were in Letterfearn again, inside the vast chamber, training to master the horrible Fiendfyre curse. This time both Hermione and Gideon tried to cease the flames while McGonagall and Fabian were having a rest. It took every ounce of their strength, and even though she was exhausted, Hermione was still in awe of how powerful the Headmaster must be, as he could endure all that alone.

Gideon cast the spell again, and after a couple of tries, he finally managed to cease the flames. "Nicely done, Gideon," Dumbledore said, looking slightly tired but still beaming at the DADA professor over his half-moon spectacles. McGonagall too nodded approvingly at her colleague.

"Thanks," Gideon breathed, as he sat heavily on the ground and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Way to go, bro," Fabian chuckled, and came to sit down next to him, patting his brother on the shoulder, while McGonagall sat down with Dumbledore on a small sofa they had conjured.

Hermione felt a bit disappointed by her own spellwork, but smiled to the others nonetheless. Gideon and McGonagall had already managed to extinguish the cursed fire, and Hermione felt like she was nowhere near that yet. _Well, at least someone was making a progress in their group._ She thought bitterly.

"Come here, little Dumbledore," Fabian said, smirking at her.

"Please don't call me that," Hermione grumbled, while the Headmaster and her Head of House chuckled quietly near them. Hermione sat down next to Fabian and he threw an arm around her shoulders.

"You know, if he hadn't succeeded before you, he'd be a quite shite teacher, eh?" He said jokingly, and Hermione gave him a small smile.

"I guess so." She said wearily, leaning her head back to the wall, feeling the exhaustion take over again.

"I personally think that this calls for a pub crawl, what do you say? Shall we hit the Three B's?" Fabian asked, eyeing Hermione mischievously.

"You're not taking the mickey are you? You do realise I have school tomorrow, and my Head of House _and_ the Headmaster are right there?" Hermione said incredulously.

Both Prewetts laughed. "Okay, since Gideon here has to work tomorrow too, I propose one drink." Fabian said, and turned to the Headmaster, "Would that be okay, Albus? One drink? And we'll escort her right back to her dorm after."

Albus gave a small nod, his mouth twitching a bit in amusement while McGonagall eyed the brothers and Hermione with a stern look in her eyes.

"Just one. I think you have earned it, after the progress we have made today." McGonagall said to Hermione with a hint of a smile on her lips.

"So? How 'bout it, little Dumbledore?" Fabian turned to Hermione and winked at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine. Only if you stop calling me that."

Fabian laughed. "I'll make no such promise. Come on," he said, grinning at her.

Hermione followed the Prewetts as they stood up. The group left the chamber and walked towards McGonagall's house again. The brothers and Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade, while Albus and McGonagall went inside her house.

* * *

As they entered the pub, Fabian went to the bar to buy them drinks while Hermione and Gideon sat next to each other at a table in the corner.

"You did great today, Hermione. Trust me, you'll get it right soon." Gideon said, smiling at her.

Hermione nodded, picking invisible lint from her sweater. She had at least managed to dress warmly, she thought bitterly, most of her thoughts still lingering in the cave. She knew it was pointless to be frustrated for not learning something, she _knew_ it, but still, she couldn't stop feeling inadequate.

"How are you doing?" Gideon asked, looking at her with a hint of concern in his eyes. "I mean, you have a lot on your plate…"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm okay." She said, unreassuringly.

Gideon frowned at her and was about to say something but refrained when Fabian came back from the bar with their drinks – three glasses of Firewhiskey – which he placed on the table. He sat down next to his brother and pushed a glass towards Hermione.

Hermione lifted her brows at the alcohol and Fabian smirked at her.

"Bottoms up," He winked and took a sip from his glass.

Hermione worried her lip but then took a sip from her own drink as well. She instantly felt the liquid warm her insides. Perhaps it was a good idea after all, considering what they'd been through that night. Even if they hadn't cast the curse, just trying to extinguish it and being around that much of dark magic for that long affected them, or at least, it affected her. She felt like something cold and dark was trying to entwine with her insides, ready to cover the light in her if the opportunity presented itself. Hermione wondered if the others felt the same.

"So…Did you go to school with one of our nephews?" Fabian asked with a grin, breaking the tense silence they were at.

Hermione's eyes widened with surprise and she looked around them quickly. "Are you mental? What if someone heard you?" She hissed at him.

Fabian laughed. "Well, that'd be hard after my silencing charm." He said with a wink. Gideon rolled his eyes with amusement.

 _Oh._

"Well?" Fabian asked, looking intrigued.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. Even if they had cast a silencing charm around them, she was still a bit hesitant speaking about her past publicly. She leaned closer to the brothers and whispered, "Yes, I did actually. I was very close to one of them." She said, taking a deep breath to keep her voice from wavering. Both brothers eyed her with surprise.

"Close, huh?" Fabian drawled and shared a devilish grin with his brother.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He was my best friend. Nothing more," She said, giving the brothers a sharp look. She knew there had been something more to her and Ron's relationship, but she certainly wasn't going to reveal the information to them.

Gideon and Fabian nodded sincerely.

"You knew Molly? And her family?" Gideon asked with a small smile. "It feels so…bizarre, you know?" He continued and Fabian nodded in agreement.

Hermione smiled to the brothers. "Yes, I knew them. Molly and Arthur were like the second set of parents to me. I actually spent a lot of time at the Burrow during my holidays." She said with a pensive smile, looking at the table as pictures of Christmases and summers started to swarm in her head.

She thought of the orchard behind the Burrow, where she and Ginny had spent time on summer nights, giggling about boys and worrying about the future. She remembered the cookings of Mrs. Weasley, the overgrown garden with a pond full of frogs, the narrow river next to the cornfields, where the Weasley children, Hermione and Harry had gone swimming on the hottest days of summer.

Hermione felt overwhelmed by longing and sadness, and she blinked rapidly as her eyes started to sting. She kept her gaze on the table, a deep frown between her brows as the brothers stared at her with a mix of confusion and surprise.

She knew that Gideon and Fabian probably hadn't known that she had been that close with their sister and her family. She didn't miss the look of uncertainty they exchanged before Gideon put his arm around her shoulders. Hermione stayed quiet, not trusting her voice, as Gideon patted her on the shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"You must miss them a lot…" Fabian said carefully, eyeing Hermione with a sad smile.

Hermione glanced at the brothers and cleared her throat, trying to rid the lump she had there. She took her glass and gulped down the rest of her drink, the liquid burning and numbing the pain, the sadness and the hopelessness that was threatening to rise inside her. Both brothers lifted their brows but said nothing.

She sighed. "I do…Very much, actually. But for now, there's nothing I can do about it," she said weakly.

Gideon and Fabian nodded. They knew Hermione hadn't yet given up researching the way back to her own time, even though the Headmaster had said there was slim to none chance for her to find anything. And Hermione was grateful for them not bringing up the fact.

"I think we should go back to the castle, if you don't mind? It's getting late." She muttered, standing up. Gideon and Fabian both murmured their agreements and followed her outside. They walked back to the castle in silence.

As she reached the empty common room, after Gideon and Fabian had escorted her to the portrait, she headed straight to the staircase that lead to the boys' dormitory. She just couldn't go to bed alone, with all the memories swarming in her head. She needed someone to hold her, to sooth the disorder she was feeling. She needed someone to distract her.

She stepped quietly inside the seventh-year boys' dormitory, moving towards Sirius's bed. The room was dark and filled with sounds of the four sleeping Marauders. She glanced to the furthest bed, where Peter was snoring behind the curtains. Opposite to his bed was Remus, who was sleeping quietly, his hangings open and his back turned to the others. James was sprawled in his bed, which was opposite to Sirius's. He slept with the bed's curtains open and he had a leg dangling off the bed.

The curtains around Sirius's bed were drawn closed, so she slipped between them quickly and sat on the edge of his bed. Sirius was lying on his back, the comforter kicked away again. He was wearing only his pyjama bottoms that hung low on his hips like they always did. Her eyes wandered over his body, over his lean, muscular form. Just looking at his defined abdomen and strong arms, which were thrown over his head and eyes, brought a shiver of incitement in her.

She leaned closer to him and kissed his lips softly. He hummed quietly in his sleep. Her heart thrummed in her chest. _Was it okay? To kiss him while he was asleep?_ She wondered and saw his lips curve upwards a bit. Biting her lip, she looked at him unsurely, when a thought came into her head.

Hermione continued giving feathery kisses down his jaw, his neck, and over his chest. His chest rumbled at her touch, but his eyes were still closed. She could see that his breathing was faster.

Hermione swallowed deeply before she continued. Her kisses travelled lower hesitantly, down his belly, and Sirius squirmed slightly, humming in his sleep. As her lips were nearing the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, kissing down the trail of the black hair that continued down under his pants, Sirius's took a sharp breath and his eyes snapped open.

"Hermione...?" He mumbled, breathing heavily. She could see his obvious arousal through the fabric of his pants.

"Yes?" She whispered unsurely. She traced the skin over the waistband of his pants with her fingers while she continued watching his reaction. Sirius licked his lips and shuddered, the muscles in his lower abdomen clenching.

"Is this okay?" She asked tentatively. Her fingers were curled inside the waistband as she started to pull his pyjama bottoms down slowly.

He let out a strangled noise and nodded. "Yes. Yeah. More than okay," He stammered, watching her ministrations in awe.

Hermione pulled his pants all the way down after he lifted his hips in order to help her.

"Am I dreaming?" He breathed unsteadily as her gaze flickered over his body.

Hermione worried her lip, and glanced at him hesitantly as her hands wandered up his thighs, towards his pelvis. She had no idea if what she was doing was right, but she gathered that it was, as he trembled beneath her fingers.

* * *

A while after Sirius rambled incoherently and took deep breaths as he lay his head down against the pillows, eyes closed, his whole body relaxed and his expression somewhat close to bliss. After calming his breath, he opened his eyes finally and stared at her in wonder.

"Was it…good?" She asked hesitantly, although all the evidence told her already that it had been.

Sirius gave her a captivated smile. "It was amazing, love. I enjoyed every minute of it," He said quietly, before continuing with a slight puzzlement in his eyes, "You just keep amazing me."

He took her hand and tugged her closer to him. Hermione followed and lay down next to him. He eyed at her with an intense look, and began to kiss her passionately. As his hands trailed down her body, caressing her curves, finally resting at the buckle of her jeans, she took his hands in hers.

"Can we just sleep?" She asked, holding back a yawn and looking at him sleepily.

He frowned slightly. "Yeah, of course. I just don't want to leave you unsatisfied," he said with a small smile, kissing her lips softly and reaching for the comforter.

Hermione smiled and snuggled closer to him after he pulled the comforter over them.

"You're not. I'm content being right here, in your arms." She whispered, half asleep already.

Sirius stared her in bewilderment for a long moment, then kissed the top of her head and drifted quickly to sleep, hugging her close to him.

* * *

 **November 12th 1977 (Saturday)**

When Sirius had woken up on Thursday morning after the night Hermione had sneaked into his dorm and fallen asleep in his arms, he had been surprised to see her gone. At first, he had thought that he truly had been dreaming, but later on, as he'd met her and seen the way she looked at him, he knew it had happened. He smirked at himself as he walked down to the breakfast on Saturday morning, and thought of her flushed face and how her eyes had roamed up and down his body.

They hadn't had the time to spend any alone time together since, as they'd been swarmed with homework and he'd been in an extra Quidditch practice on Friday night. Their practice had taken a lot more time than usual, something Sirius and his teammates hadn't appreciated that much, and when they'd finally arrived to their common room, everyone else had already been sleeping. Sirius reckoned that his best mate was a bit obsessed on winning the Quidditch Cup in his final year, and thus he was throwing extra practices on them.

* * *

As Sirius entered the Great Hall, he sat next to Hermione and gave her a quick kiss.

"Good morning, kitten," he grinned to her and grabbed a toast from a large plate.

Hermione smiled and poured him coffee. She swallowed hard as she felt his thumb brushing along her spine through the fabric of her robes, and she hastily put the coffee pot back on the table.

Sirius smirked at her flustered expression and was about to say something but was interrupted by James, who walked behind him and smacked him round the head, making the raven-haired boy wince slightly before his mate marched to the other side of the table.

"What did you do, Pads?" Remus asked resignedly, as James sat next to him and started to load his plate with food, glaring at Sirius who was sitting opposite to him. The girls eyed the pair with a mix of confusion and amusement.

Sirius chuckled. "Nothing much. Just pulled a teeny prank on Prongs." He said, grinning.

Hermione lifted her brows. "Sirius?" She asked cautiously and glanced at James, who was looking irritated. Sirius sniggered.

"I really didn't do much…Just, you know, replaced his broom with a Muggle one before he got the chance to go to his morning fly," He said with an innocent shrug.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Did you give the real one back?"

"No," Sirius said incredulously. "Why would I do that? You do remember the dreadlocks, right?" He said with a slight bitterness in his voice.

James narrowed his eyes at his mate. "You want to tell her the real reason for your stupid prank, Pads?" He said warningly. Sirius lifted his brows in irritation and James seemed to be a bit pleased with himself.

"What?" Hermione asked, giving Sirius a puzzled look.

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "He uh…banned you from our dorm for a month." He grumbled, not looking at her, and instead glaring at James, who was smirking at him.

"W-What? Why?" Hermione asked quietly, looking at James in confusion. Lily and the others too were watching James in bewilderment.

"Let's just say…I'm a bit of a light sleeper. And you didn't use a silencing charm." He said and gave Hermione a pointed look.

Hermione's eyes widened with embarrassment and her face flushed bright red. The others eyed the scene with a variety of expressions from amusement to shock.

Sirius rolled his eyes to James. "Like anyone would believe you were a light sleeper...Your snoring makes the windows rattle," He huffed.

James arched a brow at his friend. "Although, now that I think about it, I only heard Padfoot making noises…" James said and glanced at Hermione with a mischievous look in his eyes. "I mean, perhaps your mouth was otherwise occupied?" He asked pointedly, his remark sparking guffaws from the others.

"Prongs. That's enough." Sirius said with a warning in his voice.

"Oh, Merlin…" Hermione whispered, burying her face in her hands. Sirius smoothed his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her.

Lily looked like she was torn between laughter and disdain, and decided to change the subject for her friend's sake.

"So…um…who do you suppose will win today?" The redhead asked with a slightly squeaky voice, trying to school her features as she eyed the others. Today was the first Quidditch match of the season and it was going to be Ravenclaw versus Slytherin.

"Ravenclaw, obviously," James scoffed, "Slytherin's team is shite. Although it would be better if they won…Then we'd have an easy lead in the points." He continued thoughtfully.

Hermione's attention drifted elsewhere as her friends started to discuss about Quidditch. She just wasn't that interested in the sport. Her eyes travelled along the Great Hall, eyeing the excited students in every table. Most of them were wearing blue or green, supporting either one or the other team. She glanced at the enchanted ceiling – it was covered with grey clouds. She really hoped it wasn't going to rain, as it was quite horrible to sit in the Quidditch stands during a bad weather.

Her eyes flickered towards the Slytherin table, where she saw Regulus amongst his teammates. He ate silently as the others talked around him with hushed tones. A moment passed and he looked up, straight into her eyes. Hermione swallowed as they stared at each other for a long moment. It felt like she should've looked away, but she couldn't. She frowned as she felt her stomach twist all of a sudden and she blinked in bewilderment. Regulus's gaze shifted next to her, and she knew he was looking at his brother. Hermione saw Sirius looking back and it seemed like the boys were having a silent conversation as they simply stared at each other before averting their eyes, both then smirking to their own plates.

Hermione tried to focus on her tea and gather her thoughts. She couldn't place the feeling she now had inside her. But what was it?

Hermione was so immersed in her thoughts that she actually jumped when Sirius spoke to her. "Shall we go kitten?" He asked, giving her a slight nudge.

Hermione saw that most of the students were already drifting towards the Quidditch pitch. "Sure." She said and smiled at him as they stood up and left the Great Hall with the other Gryffindors.

* * *

The game had been a close call. Ravenclaw eventually won, but Slytherin had caught the Snitch. Sirius and Hermione had both grinned and whooped at the dark haired Slytherin seeker, who flew by near them. Regulus had merely shaken his head in amusement, smirking at the pair before he had returned to his sour-faced teammates.

After the game, the seventh year Gryffindor girls had gone to Hogsmeade – McGonagall had given them a special permission to go, and Hermione suspected that their Head of House probably had a soft spot for the Head Girl, since she apparently hadn't needed that much of persuasion. Alice had finally a chance to meet her boyfriend, Frank, who had a day off, while Lily, Mary and Marlene were going to grab lunch in the village. Hermione had opted to stay in the castle, as she had much to accomplish in research and studying front. After lunch, she had browsed through the books she had loaned from the restricted section the week before, as she had had the whole dormitory to herself.

Later in the evening Hermione was doing her homework at the Gryffindor common room, sitting near the fire. Remus had joined her, while the rest of the boys were somewhere in the castle, causing mischief. After some time, she eyed him unsurely, trying to figure out a way to ask him about something that was in her mind.

"Just let it out, Hermione," He muttered while he scribbled something into his parchment.

Hermione flinched. "What? How did you know I was about to speak?"

Remus glanced at her, smirking. "Besides the fact that I can hear your heart rate speeding up and down?" He chuckled at her flustered look. "I knew you'd want to talk sooner or later…" He said, putting his quill away and giving her his full attention.

"Well…Yes. I do. Um…How are you doing?" Hermione asked, eyeing him with concern.

"You mean, how am I handling the fact that I have a…girlfriend?" He said, cringing a little. "Peachy." He said with mirthless laugh, and rubbed his face.

"I dunno, Hermione. Mary's great, I mean...We really hit it off." He said with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, I know," Hermione smirked, giving him a knowing look. Mary hadn't talked much about him after Halloween ball, but some details had slipped. Remus gave her a puzzled look.

"She said you're an animal," Hermione said innocently, and laughed as she saw his face pale and his eyes widen with shock.

"W-What?" He stammered.

Hermione snorted. "I think it was meant in a good way," she said, giving him a meaningful smile. Remus cleared his throat nervously and averted his gaze.

"I…I'm just still a bit worried that I might hurt her." He muttered, turning his uncertain eyes back to her.

Hermione smiled at him. She understood that his illness affected him even without the full moon. "You won't, trust me. And…I think you should talk to her. I mean, not necessary tell about the… _Lycanthropy_ ," She said the last word inaudibly, after glancing around them, making sure they were alone. "But the feelings you have and the thoughts that are going through your head. That you are afraid that you'll be too rough with her?"

He looked at the table thoughtfully for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He said finally, giving her a small smile.

She patted his hand and they continued with their Charms homework in silence, occasionally asking detailed questions on the subject from each other.

* * *

 **November 25th 1977 (Friday)**

It was the night of the full moon, and the girls were having a 'girls' night in' at their dorm. The guys had told them they'd be sneaking off to Hogsmeade for the night, hitting the pubs there, while Lily and Hermione were told that they were actually sneaking to grab a load of sweets for Remus since the two girls knew that their werewolf friend was going to stay in the infirmary. Before the boys had left the common room, Hermione had told Sirius to have fun and behave. He had merely barked a laugh and replied, "I always behave like a good dog."

"I just have a feeling that he's not being completely honest with me," Mary said with a hint of annoyance in her voice, as they were setting up their snacks and drinks on her expanded night stand. Regardless of Lily's reluctance to drinking in school premises, Mary and Marlene had insisted they should be having a few drinks.

At first, the girls had decided to entertain themselves with a bit of a drinking game, not to get sloshed, but to have fun and relax a bit. They were supposed to take a sip from their Mimosas Mary had made them, every time the Marauders were mentioned, including their names and/or their nicknames.

Eventually they had to put a stop to the game, as apparently all their topics involved a marauder or two. They really needed to fix their lives to not revolve around men only, Hermione thought, and said so to the girls.

"But I love men," Mary whined, sprawled on her bed, while Alice was sitting at the foot of it. "I'll drink to that," Alice agreed, emptying her last drink.

Marlene smirked from her bed, where she was lying on her stomach. "I think you both mean, one man?"

"Well, yeah," Mary said, rolling her eyes with amusement. "And may I just state the fact that James is being a prat for banning the girls from their dorm." She said, pouting to the unfairness of it.

Apparently, James's ban did not only concern Hermione, but all the girls. James had told them later on, that he and Sirius had to be in top condition for Quidditch, as the Gryffindor's first match was to be played in the middle of December. He'd said that they needed a good night's sleep every night to accomplish that. Sirius had then slyly proposed that perhaps something else could keep James energetic, winking at Lily as he spoke. James had punched his friend for his comment, and that had been the end of that discussion.

Lily arched a brow to her friends. "I think, for once in his life he is being reasonable. The dorms are not for some fun night life, they are for sleeping." She said matter-of-factly.

Marlene snorted. "Just call it shagging, Lily."

Lily pursed her lips and Marlene eyed her. "You know, soon you'll be changing your mind. When you and your Head Boy start your 'fun night life'." Marlene finished with a teasing grin.

"And that, I assure you, is not happening in the near future. I'm far too busy with school and my Heads' duties." Lily said confidently.

"Oh? How's James handling it?" Marlene asked with interest, a smile tugging at her lips.

Lily shrugged. "He's not complaining."

Marlene snorted and muttered something under her breath.

"You still snog each other, right?" Mary asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. "And do some other stuff, too?"

"Yes, of course we do!" Lily huffed, "But that's between me and him, just so you know." She said with a stern look.

Hermione smiled pensively. Sometimes Lily resembled a lot of another fiery red-haired girl Hermione knew from her past, but certainly not now. Ginny would've been spilling every single sordid detail there was to give, enjoying every minute of it.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Lils. You have to give us something, eh?" She said, grinning mischievously at the redhead.

"I agree! How is he?" Alice asked with a devilish grin, "You know, at snogging?"

Lily blushed a bit. "Um…Good, I guess…It's not like I have that much to compare to."

Hermione knew her friend had kissed only one boy before James, and apparently that was some time ago.

"Well, was he better than Daniel?" Mary asked, waggling her brows.

Lily rolled her eyes before she spoke. "Yes."

"What about Snape?" Marlene asked.

Hermione let out a loud cough. _What?! Lily and Snape…?_

"W-What?" Lily breathed, her eyes widening in shock.

"Did you ever snog him?" Mary asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "You know, when you were spending time together…Before the um, you know…" She said and cringed as she ended her sentence in awkward silence.

Lily dropped her gaze down and didn't say anything. The girls looked at each other unsurely and waited for Lily to say something. She didn't. Instead she stood up from her bed, where she and Hermione were sitting and walked away from the dormitory.

"Lils?" Hermione called to her as the red-haired girl stormed off. They heard the door shut with a quiet click.

Hermione sighed. Mary looked at the others regretfully. "Shit…I didn't mean to…"

"I know. I'll go check on her." Hermione said and gave Mary a small smile before she left the dorm and went after Lily.

As she stepped into the empty common room, Hermione saw Lily sitting on the couch by the fading fire, immersed in her thoughts.

"Have you talked with him?" Hermione asked cautiously as she approached her and sat down next to her.

Lily stared ahead and sighed. "No. But…well…lately I've been having some second thoughts. You know? Did I end it too easily after all? Our friendship?" She muttered, glancing at Hermione with a deep frown.

Hermione smiled at her sadly. "I don't know…Only you know if you did, but no one else. That being said…I'm sure you didn't cut him out of your life because of just a onetime slur?" Hermione asked tentatively. "I mean, it was wrong of him to call you names, but if there hadn't been anything else going on, I'm sure you would've forgiven him. Right?" She said and eyed her friend searchingly.

Lily blinked. "Yes, of course. It would've been a bit high handed of me to shun him based on one mistake." She muttered thoughtfully. "Of course there were other things too. You know what I mean. You know who he is friends with, and what he's planning to do…" She said exasperatedly, giving her a helpless look. "It's like he didn't even try to say no to them. To refuse them. To disagree with them. That's what bothered me the most," Lily muttered, staring ahead, a strained look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know." Hermione said quietly. "But I think there could be a chance for him to change sides after all...You know he's friends with Regulus, right?" She said and looked at Lily pointedly.

Her brows shot up. "Has Sev said anything?" She whispered anxiously.

"Well, no. I was in speaking terms with him until I made friends with Regulus. For some reason that seemed to irritate him and now he is acting like a prat most of the time we're at Potions." Hermione huffed, annoyed by his behaviour.

"But…I could ask Regulus to talk to him about it. Only…" Hermione stopped and watched Lily with uncertainty.

"What?" Lily asked urgently.

"I think he wants your forgiveness…otherwise he probably won't do it. I mean, he's not friends with anyone on 'our side'. I don't know if he sees any point in joining us if everyone hates him…" Hermione said carefully, watching Lily's expression harden.

Hermione sighed. "Look, I am not asking you to forgive him right away and forget everything that has happened, but… Just think about it, okay?" She said while giving her a sideway hug.

"I will," Lily said quietly.

* * *

The boys were walking back to the castle from the forest, leaving Remus in the Shack to sleep in his wolf form for the rest of the night. Dawn was about to break soon, and the boys had resumed to an earlier argument about the girl-ban regarding their dorm. Sirius was pouting, after James had suggested that he should go and have a wank if it was bothering him that much.

James snorted at his friend as they walked through the halls, checking the map as they went. "Come on, mate. The match is in a couple of weeks. I'm sure you can manage, as you have so far." He said with a frustrated huff.

"Yes, Prongs, I believe it is easy for you, since you've probably grown your virginity back by now, as the result of your Victorian ways," Sirius muttered, glaring at his friend, while Peter snickered. James merely rolled his eyes as he checked the map.

"Have you and Hermione…you know?" Peter asked while they ascended the stairs.

"What do you think, Pete?" Sirius said, winking at his friend.

James smirked. "Based on the sounds, which by the way, are constantly ringing in my head – no."

"Oh, Prongs, I'm flattered. Didn't know you thought of me that much." Sirius said, grinning at his friend. "Do you think of me when you get off too?" Sirius asked lightly.

"Bugger off."

Sirius laughed at him. "Make me."

James sighed irritably.

"Admit it, Prongs. I'd rock your world." Sirius said smugly. "I mean, I'd want to shag me too if I were you," He continued and poked his friend on his ribs.

James growled. "Piss off, Pads. I'm not in the mood for your jokes. I just want to head to our dorm, so that I can catch a couple of hours of sleep before the morning."

Sirius chuckled. "Oh, you were so much more fun when you were getting some…" he said, earning a punch on the shoulder from his friend.

"…Damn…You're strong for a little thing." Sirius muttered and ducked behind Peter as James tried another swing at him.

Peter merely laughed at their banter, shaking his head in exasperation.

"I'm warning you, Pads." James said darkly, glaring at his friend.

Sirius lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay," he said, biting back a grin as they entered their common room.

Soon they were walking up the stairs to their dorm, all of them yawning heavily. Each boy collapsed on their respective beds, exhausted from the night.


	18. An Encounter

**A/N:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate your thoughts and opinions on this story :)

* * *

 **Chapter 18: An Encounter**

 **November 26th 1977 (Saturday)**

"You know, you could've just stayed in bed after staying up for better part of last night…" Hermione said, eyeing worriedly Sirius's pale, drained complexion and the dark circles under his eyes as they walked towards the village.

It was their last Hogsmeade weekend in November and second to last trip to the village that year. The rest of the seventh year Gryffindors were staying in the castle.

Sirius yawned. "I'm perfectly capable of joining my girlfriend on this lovely Saturday walk," he said, stretching his arms. "Besides, as soon as we'll enter the bookshop, you know I'll be dozing off in one of the daybeds in the corner."

Hermione snorted. "It's not a daybed, Sirius. It's an _ottoman_. And you're not supposed to sleep in it…" She said and gave him an incredulous look as they reached the main road of the village.

Sirius smirked. "Well, I can't help it. The place bores me to tears," he said with a shrug.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation as they walked along the relatively empty streets of Hogsmeade. It was lunchtime already, and they had decided to head towards the Three Broomsticks first.

* * *

After lunch and a quick trip to Tomes and Scrolls, Hermione and Sirius were walking along one of the side alleys, in order to visit a recently opened Quidditch shop.

"Well, well, well…Look who it is. Itty…bitty…Blackie…" A woman's voice cooed behind them.

Hermione's eyes widened in recognition as she and Sirius both stopped in their tracks and turned swiftly around. Hermione knew already what her eyes would see before she looked up and met her torturer. Bellatrix Lestrange stood there, with her husband Rodolphus.

Hermione stared the woman in horror, the last time she had seen her flashing in her mind, bringing nauseating shivers down her spine. Hermione reckoned the woman looked much the same as she remembered. The same hooded eyes and the same sharp, angular features. Not forgetting the loathing sneer edged to her face. Only now she looked a bit younger.

Sirius gritted his teeth. "Bella. I'd say it's nice to see you, but since your face makes me want to scratch my eyes out…"

Bellatrix smirked at him unpleasantly. "Be careful what you wish for, Sirius…" She cackled as she approached him. Rodolphus followed his wife and his gaze flickered to Hermione.

"And who might this little witch be?" Rodolphus grunted at Hermione, looking at her features with a nasty leer. Hermione suppressed a shiver and saw Sirius clench his jaw.

"Leave her alone, Lestrange." Sirius growled.

"Oh, little Sirius has a girlfriend?" Bella hissed venomously, her eyes flashing with excitement. Her focus too shifted to Hermione, who was standing rigidly next to Sirius, and trying not to panic as her eyes met Bellatrix's.

"And an intriguing _friend_ you have cousin, indeed…Miss Dumbledore, I presume…" She cackled again with glee, turning back to Sirius.

Bellatrix's words made Hermione's blood run cold. Her eyes wandered to behind the Lestranges in the hopes of finding someone who could assist them. She could see a glimpse of the main road, where the side street joined it, but the streets were empty.

"I think you should leave now, Bella." Sirius said, sneering at his cousin.

"I think not. I think _you_ are not in a position to place commands." Bellatrix said sweetly as she smiled maniacally to Sirius. "Isn't that right, dear?" She continued with a warning in her tone as she glanced at her husband.

"It would be wise to drop the attitude, Black. Even after your little stunt, your parents might be willing to take you back. That is, if you beg for their forgiveness and do what is expected from you," Rodolphus spat, taking a step towards the raven-haired Gryffindor.

Sirius's stance didn't falter. " _Never_ going to happen," Sirius bit back through his teeth, his eyes flashing with rage.

Hermione swallowed hard and wondered briefly if she was able to send Ab a messenger patronus without the Lestranges noticing.

Bellatrix too came closer. Too close. She leaned towards Sirius's ear. "You know, dear cousin…We _could_ make this the hard way. What will it do? Kill one of your friends? Believe me, it would be _so_ easy, as you have no shortage of them…or _loved ones_ …" She whispered venomously, and her eyes flashed briefly to Hermione before she gave Sirius a meaningful look.

Sirius's eyes went cold, his expression stony and Hermione could feel him shaking slightly as he moved to stand partly in front of Hermione.

Seconds later Hermione finally saw someone familiar on the street, and relief flooded into her as she called, "Professor Prewett!"

Gideon's attention was drawn towards their direction, and after he had realised exactly who were accompanying his students, he quickly approached them. "What is going on in here?" He asked, eyeing the Lestranges with a mild disgust edged onto his face.

"Just havin' a bit of a chat," Rodolphus said with an indifferent shrug and took a step back, glancing at his wife who was still staring at Sirius and invading his personal space.

Gideon cleared his throat loudly.

After giving her cousin a final smirk, Bellatrix stepped back and turned, walking with her husband towards the main street.

Hermione let out a heavy breath as they vanished from their sight. _Merlin…what would've happened if Gideon hadn't come just then?_

"Everything okay?" Gideon asked, glancing at Sirius before his eyes settled to Hermione's. Sirius was staring the ground with an angry look in his eyes.

Hermione nodded and gave their professor a small smile. "Yes, it is now. Thank you."

Gideon nodded. "No problem. Perhaps it would be best if you headed back to the school…" He said tersely and motioned for them to follow him.

* * *

Hermione and Sirius walked back to the castle in a tense silence. Hermione's mind was spinning, as she debated what she should say to him.

"Sirius." Hermione said softly, as they walked up the staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower. "Don't overthink it. It's okay, everything is okay. I'm fine."

"Yeah." He said unconvincingly, as he stared ahead with an absent look. He didn't say anything else until they reached their common room.

"Hermione, I have to…I've got some things to do, so…I'll see you later." He muttered, not looking at her and heading straight to his dorm.

Hermione huffed as he hadn't bothered to wait for her reply and glanced over the nearly empty common room. None of the seventh year Gryffindors were there. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands before she left towards the library. She needed some distraction, and she knew the place would give it to her.

 **November 30th 1977 (Wednesday)**

A couple of days later Hermione and Lily were watching the Gryffindor Quidditch practice, sitting alone on a stand in the middle of the pitch. Sirius had been avoiding Hermione since the incident on Saturday, and she was now determined to have a chat with him. He had been sitting next to her at mealtimes and during some of their lessons, barely speaking to her. After classes he had been outside by himself or alone at the boys' dorm.

Hermione frowned as she looked at him play; a sullen expression edged on his face. James had been throwing her dubious looks every now and then, and Hermione reckoned that James suspected she had something to do with Sirius's current mood. Or perhaps the raven-haired Gryffindor had informed his friend about what had happened in the village. Hermione hadn't said anything to anyone, but of course her friends had noticed that something was amiss.

When the practice was over, Lily squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "Just talk to him, okay?" She said with a reassuring smile before she left the stand to meet James.

* * *

Sirius knew they would have to talk. He knew it had to happen after he'd seen her sitting at the stands with Lily. He knew he couldn't keep on avoiding her like he had. So, he took a deep breath and flew towards the stand where Hermione was sitting alone, as his teammates went to the locker rooms and some headed straight towards the school. After he landed on the stand, he saw Hermione eyeing him warily. Silently, he took a seat next to her and stared ahead, trying to think of what to say to her. He sighed and shoved his hands through his hair, freeing his silky locks from a hair tie.

"Sirius…?"

He swallowed and turned to look at her with a crestfallen look. "You know who threatened us?"

Hermione sighed. "Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband Rodolphus. She's, um…your cousin, right?" She said vaguely.

"No. I mean you _know_ her, right?" He asked with a cold voice as he eyed her apprehensively.

"I…" She mumbled, looking at her lap.

"She did something to you." He said sharply. "Didn't she?" He demanded.

"No…" Hermione whispered, not looking at him.

Sirius took a deep breath and cursed under his breath. "Don't lie to me, Hermione. I saw your face," He growled, turning to look at the pitch.

Hermione swallowed. "Can't we just forget about her?" She asked wearily.

"No! We can't ignore that crazy bitch. I know better than to ignore her threats." He said bitterly. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of her. Or because of me…" He continued quietly and took her hand between his.

Hermione licked her lips and it seemed like she wanted to say something but nothing came out. Sirius watched her, his stomach filling with remorse, his eyes pleading forgiveness. Hoping she would somehow understand how terrible it felt, what he was about to do.

Hermione looked at him worriedly. "Sirius, what do you…" she started until her eyes widened in understanding. She knew he was going to leave her. She knew it but he hoped, no, he prayed that she'd understand why. That he only wanted her to be safe. That he was a danger to her.

"No. Don't." She whispered pleadingly. "Don't let her win."

Sirius shook his head and dropped her hand as his chest filled with pain. As he looked at her, feeling nothing but sadness and shame, he saw the anger and fear flicker in her eyes.

Then she reached out to him, grabbing his neck and pressing herself against him. And he wanted nothing more than to give into it, to forget everything that was about to happen, forget the fear that was slicing him open.

"Don't do this, Sirius." She whispered urgently, her lips fluttering against his.

Sirius swallowed hard, his eyes burning as she kissed him desperately, as if trying to reassure him that she was safe with him. That he worried for nothing. She smoothed her fingers up the length of his neck and whimpered as he answered to her kiss, enjoying the feeling as his hands settled over her hips and as his fingers caressed her softly. How he hoped that he could've told her that everything was going to be okay. That he'd take care of her, and that Bellatrix wasn't going to be a problem. But he knew that he could not.

They kissed and touched each other so softly, so gently, and she soon let out a desperate sigh and climbed over his lap and pressed herself against him. Sirius groaned against her lips and stroked the length of her thighs before he took a hold of her hips while their lips still caressed each other. He was vaguely reminded of a certain afternoon they had spent at the Quidditch stands together after his practice. It had been one of the first times they had done something more than kissing.

But this time it was different. This time he was holding her back, instead of pressing her into him. Kissing her felt different too. He knew that she felt it too. It felt like a goodbye. His chest ached as he saw how she fought back tears and clung to him desperately.

He soon broke their kiss and pushed her gently back to her seat. "Hermione…I'm so sorry. I can't do this. Not anymore. Please don't hate me," he murmured as he looked at her, feeling nothing but anguish and wretchedness.

She looked away, swallowing hard as a variety of emotions flickered over her face. Disbelief. Sadness. Anger. Helplessness. Tears were brimming in her eyes as she finally turned to him and gave him a heartbroken look.

There was a long silence. When Hermione didn't say anything to him, he let out a deep breath and stood up.

"I wish I wouldn't have to do this…but I do." He whispered and averted his eyes, walking away from her, forcing himself to take step after step, and not look back.

It felt like he was drowning.

* * *

Sirius walked numbly towards the castle. He felt horrible, like it was hard to breathe, like he was lost and didn't know where to go, and what to do. He only knew that he didn't want to feel anything on the inside anymore. It was too overwhelming. He needed to punch someone, to have someone take a couple of good swings at him so he'd feel physical pain instead.

So, he decided that brawling with Slytherins would do it. Surely there would be someone willing to fight with him, with or without wands, he thought sullenly as he moved towards the voices that came from further along the corridor. He approached a group of Slytherins and shouted angrily _"Flipendo,"_ aiming to the group.

The four Slytherins were knocked back with a loud bang.

"What the fuck?!" One of them yelled.

"You're dead, Black!" Another one shouted as they scrambled back to their feet and drew their wands.

Three curses left at the same time and came soaring towards Sirius. He blocked deftly all of them with a strong shield charm, but then the fourth curse, _"Sectumsempra!",_ was uttered right after the others and Sirius didn't have time to deflect it. For a second, he actually thought he might've died, because Sirius knew what the curse did.

Suddenly a shield charm was thrown in front of him, right before the curse would have hit him in the chest. Sirius turned his stunned gaze to his side and saw his brother. Regulus was holding his wand up with an angry expression on his face.

"Back the fuck off, Burke." Regulus growled coldly to his housemate. "I'll deal with him." He said with finality.

He then approached Sirius, drew away his shield charm and grabbed him by his collar, leading him away from the Slytherins. Burke and the others snarled at the brothers before leaving as well and moving along the corridor towards the opposite way. Sirius merely stared ahead with empty eyes as they moved forward.

Regulus dragged his brother into an empty classroom on the first floor. After he closed the door behind them, he threw Sirius forward, rounding on him.

"What the fuck was that, Sirius? Do you have any sanity left in that small Gryffindor brain of yours?" Regulus said with a mix of anger and worry.

Sirius glared back at him with a hint of resign in his eyes. "You should've just let them hex me."

"Are you fucking kidding me? You do realise what the spell was Burke shot at you?" Regulus yelled and sighed. "What the fuck is the matter with you? I mean…has something happened?" He asked after studying him for a moment, his voice now slightly calmer.

Sirius looked away, scoffing. "The crazy bitch of a cousin is what happened," He muttered and sneered to the wall.

Regulus's posture stiffened. "What? Bella? What did she do?" He asked cautiously frowning at his brother.

"She threatened my friends. And Hermione. We were at the village the other day, and ran into her along with that idiot husband of hers. Said if I'm not going home soon and be what I was supposed to be, they'll start persuading me through the ones close to me…" He said, getting angry again.

Sirius shoved both hands into his hair. "FUCK!" he cursed loudly and kicked a chair that fell to the floor.

Regulus watched his brother calmly, even though his eyes flickered with discomfort. "Are you going to be okay? Is Hermione okay?" He asked finally.

"No…I don't know. She said she was, afterwards, but I just couldn't, Reg, I…I can't put her in danger," Sirius said quietly, feeling nauseated. Feeling terrible.

Regulus frowned at him then his eyes flashed with recognition. "You left her, didn't you?" He demanded from Sirius darkly.

Sirius sighed and looked down. "I wish I didn't have to."

Sirius knew that even though Regulus was displeased at him for causing Hermione harm, he understood the situation. They both knew that their family was waiting to get their hands on Sirius and punish him if he didn't turn up and beg for their forgiveness. And they both knew that Sirius wasn't going back, but he wasn't going to let anyone suffer the consequences.

"Where is she?" Regulus asked quietly, his eyes moving over Sirius's face.

"The Quidditch stands." Sirius replied, knowing that his brother would go to her.

He knew Regulus and Hermione had developed a friendship during the past few months, and he wasn't one to fault them for it. After all, it had been Hermione who had brought Sirius and Regulus together. The brothers weren't as close as they had been as children, but they were getting there. Sirius let out a weary sigh as he saw that Regulus had left him alone. Slowly, he made his way back to the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

Hermione wiped angrily at her face, but the tears she willed not to fall in front of him were cascading now freely, and it seemed that there was no end to it.

She knew why he had done it, and deep down, there was a fraction of her that understood. But that fraction was now stomped by the feelings of sorrow, betrayal, and a heart wrenching ache.

 _"Confrigo!"_ Hermione shouted furiously, blasting away the fence in front of her. She felt a mix of thrill and guilt of violating the school property as she pulled her knees under her chin and stared at the empty pitch, her tears finally subsiding.

"So…I believe that would bring a bit of suspense for the next match, wouldn't you agree?" Regulus said quietly as he sat down next to her.

Hermione tensed a bit as she hadn't heard anyone approaching her, but soon relief flooded into her as she glanced at him and saw a friendly face. Even though the Black brothers resembled quite much one another, there were still some differences between them, those of which she was glad of at the moment. She took a deep breath and rested her head against his shoulder.

"What has my brother done now?"

Hermione huffed. "I don't want to talk about it. Besides, I bet he just sent you to me, so you probably know exactly what happened." She muttered, looking forlorn.

He sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry, Hermione." He put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

She stared at the pitch with an empty gaze and remained quiet as Regulus mended the fence in front of them. Several warming charms later it was nearly curfew, so they had to return to the castle. Regulus escorted Hermione back to her quarters, holding her hand as they walked. As they stood in front of the portrait in the entrance of the Gryffindor Tower, he tucked a curl behind her ear and hugged her close to him.

"Goodnight, love." He whispered to her ear.

As they broke their embrace, Hermione gave him a strained smile and climbed through the portrait hole, walked straight to the girls' dormitory and went to sleep.

* * *

 **December 6th 1977 (Tuesday)**

Everything was slowly going back to normal after Hermione's and Sirius's break-up. The girls hadn't questioned Hermione after she had come to their dormitory looking dishevelled and teary-eyed. Hermione was glad of it. She knew she would talk with her friends when she was ready, and they seemed to understand it. What she didn't know, until much later, was that Sirius had received a good hexing from Lily on the corridors the next day, with McGonagall herself witnessing it, causing the redhead her first detention ever.

The first couple of days after their break-up had been quite bad in Hermione's opinion. Sirius had barely glanced at her, not to mention talked to her. Not that she sought his company or tried to talk to him herself. Even though she was quite hurt for him leaving her because of some crazed woman's threats, she still understood him. She knew why he had left her. She knew by experience that Bellatrix was a psychopath, and that her threats shouldn't be taken lightly. She knew Sirius was only trying to protect her, but she couldn't help but resent his actions.

On Tuesday, over a week after their break-up, Hermione sat in the Charms classroom after lunch. Her focus was drifting away from Professor Flitwick's description of today's charm they'd be practicing – the Geminio Charm. To her credit, she already had cast it successfully, on her fifth year nonetheless, and she knew that a few of her classmates mastered the charm as well. Hermione was sitting furthest from her group of friends, and only a slight distance away from the group of Slytherins who took NEWT Charms. Lily and Alice, who sat next to her, were scribbling notes to their parchments, as Flitwick went into detail about the charm in question.

As she was trying to gather her thoughts and get back to her notes, Hermione heard voices from the row behind her. She heard Snape muttering something under his breath to another Slytherin next to him. As Hermione glanced subtly towards their direction, she saw that their heads were drawn together, their conversation clearly not about the lesson. Curious of what they were discussing of, she strained to hear what they were saying.

"What the fuck is going on with him?" The other Slytherin, whom Hermione recognised as Amycus Carrow, hissed. "One would think he's gone soft from the way he's befriending the Gryffs. If he's not turning up to the Nott's on hols, Salazar knows he's going to be in deep shit."

Snape let out a quiet sigh of annoyance. "He'll be there. But let's not talk about this in here, Carrow. Too many prying ears." He muttered, glancing at Hermione and narrowing his eyes at her.

Hermione quickly shifted her focus towards the front of the class. _They must've been talking about Regulus._ She thought anxiously, before focusing on the lesson.

A while later, Hermione waved her wand and cast the Protean Charm on the fake Galleon Flitwick had handed everyone at the start of their class, and then duplicating it with Geminio Charm.

"Wow, you did that fast," Alice said, looking at her work appreciatively. Hermione gave her a small smile in return.

"Here." Hermione said, using the Geminio Charm again and handing the girls copies of her own Galleon.

"I used a Protean Charm in the original. Now we can write each other messages." She said, smiling at her friends. The girls looked surprised and each took their own fake Galleon from her. Hermione remembered when she had first used the two charms, and her thoughts wandered to the DA meetings she, Harry and Ron had organised during their 5th year. Her smile turned downwards as the memories swarmed in her head. She was quickly shaken from her musings when Lily interrupted her.

"Hey. I think it's great, Hermione. Thanks." She said, smiling and pocketing her coin after sending a message to the girls.

 _HI LADIES! –LE_

Hermione read her coin and chuckled at her friend. Remus watched the girls with a small smile playing on his lips.

* * *

As Hermione entered the girls' dormitory after studying in the library instead of joining everyone for dinner in the Great Hall, she saw her friends waiting for her. Lily, Mary, Alice and Marlene were all sitting on a large bed with food and treats on trays next to them. Hermione was momentarily taken aback by their thoughtfulness, their kindness and the way they were looking after her. They were her friends. She blinked away tears as she smiled at the girls, who all stood up and came to hug her before urging her to sit down with them.

"I'm sorry I haven't been spending time with you recently," Hermione said with a sheepish smile and rubbed her eyes with her hands. She had been spending a lot of time in the library, and she had missed more than one meal after the break-up. Most nights, she had gone to bed early, pulling her curtains shut and withdrawing from the company.

Alice smiled at her. "You don't have to apologise, Mione. We understand. And we're here for you, you know?" She said kindly and Hermione gave her a nod.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lily asked hesitantly.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I don't know what to say…" She muttered and let out a weary sigh. "Someone threatened to hurt me and Sirius's friends through him, and I guess he wanted to protect me. So he left me." She said bitterly. The girls gave a collective gasp.

"Who was it?" Marlene asked anxiously.

"What did they say?" Alice followed with a concerned look.

"Fuck," Mary cursed, looking angry.

Lily eyed the bed with a troubled look. "So…he thought he was being noble or something? He wanted to be with you but couldn't? Oh, Godric, it's like from some sort of a muggle novel." Lily muttered, mainly to herself, turning to look Hermione. "But with actual threats…" She said, with her eyes widened with shock as she looked at her friend apprehensively. "You should go to talk with your uncle. Just in case…" She continued, worrying her lip.

Hermione smiled at the girls. This was what she had needed all along.

"Well, yes, I already informed the Headmaster about the incident, but unfortunately he cannot do much because no harm was done to anyone, and it was outside the school grounds. But he did mention there would be possibly more patrolling in the village on Hogsmeade weekends." Hermione said with a helpless shrug.

"As for who and what – I can't say. It does involve Sirius as well and I think he doesn't want anyone to know about his business." Hermione said quietly, looking at her lap.

Lily and Marlene lifted their brows, glancing at each other with meaningful looks. They had a good suspicion on whom and what Hermione was talking of.

"Are you going to do something about it? Is he going to?" Alice asked, frowning at the situation.

"What is there to be done?" Hermione asked gravely. "He made his choice." She said roughly. "We're over."

They sat in silence for a while, eating the food the girls had gotten them from the kitchen. Hermione smiled as Lily explained about meeting the elves for the first time and how nervous she had been. They also told Hermione that a few of the elves had actually sent Hermione their regards, and told them to tell her not hesitate visiting them. Hermione's heart warmed. She had stopped by the kitchen a couple of times after her and Regulus's visit, not to ask about their working conditions but mainly to have tea and a chat with them.

"Well…As much as this makes me sound like a bitch, especially now that we've just talked about your break-up…We, uh… I'm finally officially dating Remus." Mary said, giving Hermione an apologetic look.

Hermione laughed. "It's about time." She said with a smile. _If someone deserved happiness, it was Remus. And, well, Mary._

They started talking about Remus's and Mary's relationship, and Hermione was quickly distracted from her own thoughts and misery. The night went on with laughter and in high spirits, and for the first time in over a week, Hermione reckoned that perhaps everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 **December 12th 1977 (Monday)**

"You done hexing my brother for this month?" Regulus asked as he slumped into a chair opposite to Snape. They were in the library after dinner, doing their homework. The place was fairly empty, but they both preferred it that way.

"What? I thought you'd be pleased, giving as your brother broke up with your… _friend."_ Snape said with a hint of sneer in his features.

Regulus lifted his brows in boredom. "You want to talk about _friends_ , Severus?" He said, giving him a meaningful look.

Snape scoffed but said nothing.

Regulus sighed. "I know you hate him, but I can't turn my back on him. Not anymore," he said quietly.

Snape's lip curled into a sneer. "And why is that? You… _care_?"

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Dunno if you should be moralising me about caring. I've seen you staring at the Gryffindor table, and I'm quite sure those looks aren't meant for Potter…" he said with a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"Don't know what you are on about." Snape said with a cold voice. "And did you know that Carrow was speaking of your affiliations with Gryffindors the other day?" he continued, giving Regulus a stern look as he changed the discussion away from himself.

Regulus eyed his friend silently for a long moment.

"You have to be more careful. You know this cannot continue. If you are not an idiot, you will have to at least pretend to cut ties with them," Snape said with a low voice, and Regulus nodded in agreement. That was something he was fairly good at, Regulus thought sullenly.

Regulus hadn't told Snape everything about his collaboration with the Order, but spy or not, he knew he had to lie to the Dark Lord in order to protect the people he cared about. And he knew he would soon have to cut ties with the people who were opposing the pure-blood supremacism philosophy. Or at least pretend that he would. He also knew there would be things he had to do under the orders of the Dark Lord. Things he was sure his brother – or Hermione – wouldn't approve.

"And what about your own wandering eyes?" Snape asked after a moment of silence. "How long are you going to keep that pretence of being nothing but her friend?"

Regulus gritted his teeth and quickly schooled his expression to an indifferent one. "Don't know what you're talking about." He said harshly, taking his books from his bag and opening his Transfiguration homework.

He could feel Snape smirking at him.

"Bugger off," Regulus snarled.

"Oh! Sorry I… I'll just go then." Hermione said slowly.

Regulus's eyes widened with surprise as he looked up to see Hermione standing there, her expression a mix of shock and hurt. He jumped up from his chair before she had the chance to turn and leave them.

"No, Hermione! I'm sorry. I was talking to Severus." Regulus said quickly, taking her hand. "I didn't see you, I promise." He said with a sincere expression.

Hermione studied him for a bit before she smiled tentatively and nodded to him. They stood there, staring at each other a bit longer than usual, until he realised that he was still holding her hand. He dropped it quickly and glanced at the table. Snape was eyeing them with a smug look on his face. Regulus groaned inwardly and turned back to Hermione.

"Would you like to join us?"

"Um…sure, that'd be nice." She said warily and moved towards the table, sitting down next to Regulus's seat and pulling her books from her bag. Regulus sat down next to her, holding himself stiffly upright as he eyed her from the corner of his eye.

Snape rolled his eyes at his friend and stood up. "If you don't mind, there's someplace else I'm needed," he drawled as he swept his belongings into his tattered schoolbag.

Regulus gave him a warning glance as his friend left the library with a satisfied smirk plastered on his face, his robes billowing behind him.

"So…why were you telling Snape to bugger off?" Hermione asked, glancing at Regulus as she dipped her quill into the inkpot.

"No reason," He muttered, watching her features closely.

"What?" She asked with a bemused smile after noticing he was watching her.

Regulus shrugged. "You seem happier," he said, turning to search a reference from his book.

"I am." She said after a moment, smiling at him. Regulus looked into her eyes and swallowed deeply, before focusing back to his schoolwork.

"Those are seventh year Transfigurations," Hermione stated with a frown, sounding intrigued as she leaned on closer to him, to see what he was reading and writing about. He stopped breathing when she came so close that he could feel the warmth of her body radiating towards him and her unruly hair, which was flowing freely, was touching him, the tips of it tickling the skin on his hand.

"Yeah," He said almost breathlessly, and then she turned her face toward his. She was so near, and as his gaze dropped down to her lips, he briefly wondered if he just leaned forward a bit, would their lips touch?

"Sorry, didn't mean to snoop…I'm just a bit surprised you're studying seventh year Transfiguration already." She said quickly, backing off to her own space and frowning at her own schoolwork. She looked distracted, as if something was bothering her but that she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Yeah, no problem." He muttered, locking quickly away the sudden urge he had felt towards her.

They continued comparing notes and talking about their other classes, some of which he was also studying further than his classmates.

"When is your birthday?" Hermione asked suddenly, eyeing him searchingly.

Regulus gave her a suspicious look. "What? Why do you want to know that?" He asked with a reserved tone in his voice.

Hermione chuckled. "Just for knowledge. No need to get your tail in a twist," she said, arching a brow at him.

Regulus smirked at her, knowing there was no harm to tell her that, since it was something that could be found out somewhere anyway. "It's May 5th. And yours?"

"September 19th."

"So, you're, what, a year and eight months older than me?" He asked, after thinking quickly their age difference.

"Um…Actually. I'm nineteen." She said, cringing a little.

His brows lifted in surprise. "What?" She was almost three years older than him…That was…a lot.

"Yeah, uh…The school where I was ends a year later than the schooling in here, and I was in my last year, so my uncle decided it would be best to finish my schooling, regardless of my age." She explained, a bit out of breath.

Regulus eyed her thoughtfully. He had heard her story about Australia, but something in it didn't feel right. Then there were her memories of Malfoy Manor, which they hadn't really talked about. He knew she was hiding something, and he was determined to learn what.

"So…you're almost three years older than me…" He muttered wryly.

Hermione laughed. "Well, two years and almost eight months, to be certain. Not that it matters…Right?" She smiled teasingly.

"I guess not." He eyed her before his mouth curved into a smile.

They studied again for a moment before she spoke to him again.

"You have any news?" She whispered, leaning closer to him and watching him carefully.

He glanced at her and then around them. Hermione waved her wand, casting a subtle silencing charm around them, to prevent them to be overheard by someone.

Regulus's mind whirled as he thought about the impending meeting. "During Christmas hols. There's a gathering at Nott's, and I'm expected to show up." He said quietly, and didn't miss how Hermione's eyes flickered with worry.

"What do you reckon they'll do to you? Or make you do?" She asked anxiously, her eyes moving over his face, reflecting her emotions perfectly, as always.

He wanted to keep staring into her eyes, to forget himself in their deepness. But he knew that it wasn't possible. Regulus cleared the sudden tightness from his throat before he answered. "To prove myself."

Hermione let out a small gasp, supposedly understanding what it meant. She frowned at him, her eyes shining with concern and something else, something he couldn't quite place.

"Are you going to be okay? Should I talk with my uncle?" She asked uncertainly.

"No. I'll be fine, Hermione. Don't worry about it." He whispered to her and squeezed her arm reassuringly.

Hermione frowned as he turned back to his book. She too returned back to her studies slowly and a bit reluctantly. Regulus knew that it was dangerous to talk about these things in the library, and hell, it was probably dangerous to be seen with her altogether, but he would worry about that later on. He could see how anxious the information about the meeting had made her, how worried she obviously was for him. And he couldn't stop the light feeling it caused in the bottom of his stomach.


	19. A Match and a party

**A/N:** Well...this chapter is mostly relationship-oriented, but stick with me - soon there will be some progress with the Horcruxes! Thank you so much for reading, and please review :)

* * *

 **Chapter 19: A Match and a party**

 **December 17th 1977 (Saturday)**

"This is not how I planned spending my Saturday…" Hermione grumbled as she shivered from the cold and pulled her cloak tighter around her. The Quidditch game was starting after lunch, and the girls had persuaded Hermione to watch the game _and_ attend the celebration party afterwards. James and Sirius had been just a tad overconfident over how the match would end.

And even though her friends probably knew that Hermione's reluctance to watch the match wasn't really about Quidditch, as much as it was about watching a certain black-haired Gryffindor play while sitting in the same place where she got dumped in, Hermione reckoned that her friends thought that it would do her good to spend some time together.

Mary turned around to look at Hermione. "Come off it, Mione…We're here to support our _house team._ I mean, Snitches before bitches," Mary said matter-of-factly as she adjusted her Gryffindor scarf and turned her eyes back to the pitch. Hermione and Lily exchanged an incredulous look. They knew Mary was a bit of a Quidditch enthusiast, and that was putting it mildly.

Remus eyed Mary with a slightly terrified look in his eyes. "So, let me get this straight…I'm your…bitch?" He asked carefully. Peter snorted from Remus's other side while Hermione, Lily, Marlene and Alice all sniggered behind them.

Mary gave him an innocent shrug. "Well…You're the one who pointed that out," she said and grinned at him. Remus shook his head in bemusement.

"And besides, it's not like we were going to let you spend your whole Saturday alone in the tower," Mary said, giving Hermione a knowing look, as if she'd guessed what Hermione had been planning on doing before she was dragged outside. "Even your library-buddy is playing today," She said and glanced towards the pitch. The game was about to start.

Hermione frowned slightly, forcing her eyes to stay at her friends. "He's not my library-buddy," she grumbled as Alice turned to look at Hermione and Mary.

"Oh, I totally forgot that Regulus is playing too," Alice said as the Slytherin team flew into the pitch and took their positions. "You're still hoping for Gryffindor to win, right?" She asked pointedly.

Hermione lifted an eyebrow. "Why would I be supporting Slytherin?"

Alice shrugged. "Dunno…You seem to be quite close to him, so I thought you might," Alice said absently as she continued to stare at the players.

Hermione pursed her lips, ignoring the way Alice's remark made her take in a sharp breath. "Well, I do study with him sometimes, but Quidditch is something we rarely discuss." Hermione said simply.

Mary shushed them, glancing at Hermione and Alice with a stern look. "The game's beginning!"

Alice smirked at Hermione after Mary had turned her focus back to the pitch.

Seconds later all six Chasers were fighting over the Quaffle, flying back and forth on the pitch. After dodging a well-aimed Bludger with a Sloth Grip Roll – a tactic which Mary, the Quidditch fanatic, explained to everyone – James managed to catch the Quaffle. He was nearing the Slytherin goal hoops with the ball tucked under his arm, and every Gryffindor was holding their breath. The silence turned into wild cheers as James threw the ball through the middle hoop, making his team's first goal.

After James scored three more goals in a short period, the Slytherin team started to look a bit upset. Hermione cringed slightly as she saw the two Slytherin Beaters looking at each other with evil smirks as they sent both Bludgers soaring towards the Gryffindor Captain. Luckily Sirius and the other Gryffindor Beater were quick to ward off the attack, and James was left without a scratch. After the incident, and Lily heaving a great sigh of relief, Hermione's focus shifted to the opposite team's Seeker. Regulus was separated from his teammates, as was the Gryffindor's Seeker. Both Seekers were circling the pitch, their eyes searching for the Snitch. Hermione briefly thought how different Regulus looked while playing a sport, as she was used to seeing him in the library, browsing a book or scribbling on a parchment. And somehow, this look, him soaring through the air with his broom, it suited him.

As the match went on, Hermione tried to focus on the game. She watched Slytherin make five goals, leading the game by ten points. Gryffindor had the chance to try to score when one of the Beaters from the Slytherin team received a penalty for deliberately ramming into one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

"Yeah!" Mary and Lily cheered as James scored the penalty throw. The game was now tied, and the Slytherin players were going nastier by the minute with their questionable tactics.

As the game had been going on for almost an hour, the score was two-hundred to one-hundred and seventy, Gryffindor leading the game. The players were becoming impatient since the Snitch hadn't made its appearance yet. Suddenly the Gryffindor Seeker, Anna Alderton, took a deep drive towards the grounds. Regulus took off after her like a lightning, and together they soared through the pitch, side by side, reaching towards the tiny ball. They dived beneath the grandstands, disappearing from sight, and a couple of minutes later, the Gryffindor Seeker rose triumphantly back to the pitch, clutching the Snitch tightly in her hand.

Wild cheering erupted from the stands – Gryffindor had won the game. Sirius and James high-fived in mid-air before speeding down to the ground. Their teammates followed them, as did the rest of the Gryffindors who descended down the stands, celebrating their victory.

"Party in our common room!" Sirius shouted, grinning when he saw McGonagall give him a stern glare. His gaze flickered to Hermione, who was watching the scene from further. They stared at each other for a short moment before he looked away and started to head towards the castle with his teammates and the rest of the students. Hermione stayed behind, not really being in the mood for celebrating the Quidditch victory or being around that many people. She decided to pay Hagrid a visit before returning to the castle.

* * *

"Hi there Hermione! Surprised ter see yeh here," Hagrid said, looking at her with his brows lifted in a mild surprise as he opened the door to his hut.

"Hello Hagrid. Are you busy? Can I come in?" She asked a bit hesitantly. She had seen him only a couple of times since the term had started, as she had had so much going on lately. She made a mental note to visit him more frequently from now on.

"Sure, sure. Jus' thought yeh would be celebrating with yer friends. Come in, an' I'll put the kettle on," he said, returning to his hut with Hermione following him in.

"So, Gryffindor won, eh?" He said while making the tea and grabbing two mugs, one giant sized and one normal one, and placing them on the table before pouring tea into them.

"Yes. I'm not really that much into the sport but…It's quite nice our team won though." She said absently, while looking around the place. It looked like she remembered from her old life.

"Yeh all righ'?" Hagrid asked after a short silence as he studied her expression.

Hermione forced a smile on her face. "Sure." She sighed. "Well, not exactly, but I will be…" She said with a determined look.

Hagrid nodded. "Like my ol' dad used ter say; No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," he said. "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does."

Hermione gave him a warm smile and took a sip of her tea. It was actually better than she remembered. Her gaze wandered over his hut again and stopped into a small table next to the armchair. What froze her in place was a colourful egg that was sitting in a small bowl.

"Hagrid?" Hermione asked warily.

"Hmm?"

"W-What is that?" She asked cautiously as she stood up and approached the patterned egg. "Please don't say a dragon's egg…" She whispered.

Hagrid chuckled. "Jus' a Fwooper egg. But now tha yeh mention it, a dragon egg would be somethin', eh?" He said and eyed to the distance thoughtfully.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. Even though she now saw that the egg wasn't as large as she knew dragon eggs were, there still had been a small moment of dread coursing through her.

"Fwooper…Its feathers are used in quills, right?" Hermione asked absently as she admired the beautiful orange and pink patterned egg.

Hagrid came to stand next to her in front of the egg and nodded, "Yeah, they are. Goin' ter drop this little beauty to Magical Menagerie next week. Couldn' exactly keep it, since its singing drives the list'ner insane." He explained with a sorrowful look, and Hermione had to bite back a grin that was threatening to spread her lips, and instead nodded with an understanding look. She was a bit surprised that Hagrid wasn't trying harder to keep the magical bird for himself.

Hermione stayed for a while, talking with Hagrid about her studies and magical beasts. Hagrid offered her food, but she politely declined and eventually headed back to the castle with a promise to visit him soon again.

* * *

As Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room a couple of hours after the game, the Gryffindors were already setting up the room for the night's festivities. Hermione stood in place near the portrait hole and watched as Peter hung banners and balloons across the room with a few sixth-year girls, while Sirius and James were setting up the bar. A couple of boys from the Quidditch team were organising the furniture, and conjuring more places to sit with the help of Remus.

This was the third party in the Gryffindor common room that Hermione was attending since the term had started, and it was only mid-December. Hermione briefly wondered if going into that many parties was in fact normal behaviour, as in her time there had barely been any time to celebrate their Quidditch victories.

"There you are!" Lily called as she entered the common room from the girls' dormitories. She was already wearing a white dress and her auburn hair was curled into soft ringlets that fell over her shoulders. "Come on, Mione, the party is starting soon and you haven't even begun to ready yourself!"

Hermione groaned inwardly but followed the redhead back to their dormitory.

Upstairs, Hermione watched her dorm mates for a moment, a small smile tugging her lips. Mary was standing in front of an enlarged mirror, wearing a bathrobe while she applied mascara on her already long and thick lashes. Marlene stood next to her, curling her blonde hair into soft waves. Alice was sitting in her bed, holding a small mirror in front of her as she plucked her eyebrows with the help of her wand, her towel still on after showering and her hair in a wet mess.

"So…you're all almost ready?" Hermione asked, turning to give Lily a wry look.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, you know how it goes…" She said with a grin and sat on her bed. "What are you wearing?"

Hermione looked down at her jeans and jumper. "Um…" She glanced at Marlene, who too was wearing a dress.

"Um, I think not," Mary called from the other side of the room, eyeing Hermione through the mirror and giving her a wink.

Hermione huffed. "Fine. I'll see what I can find. Although I don't know if I even have anything to wear," she muttered as she went to rummage through her school trunk. Lily and Mary exchanged a knowing look as Hermione grudgingly started to get ready.

* * *

A while after the girls were situated in front of the mirror, standing side by side. Lily was wearing her white tassel dress with spaghetti straps and silver earrings for accessory. Mary wore a long, black sleeveless dress and several golden bracelets in both wrists. Marlene was wearing a cute red dress with long sleeves and a very short hem. Her long blonde hair was in perfect sleek curls, framing her face. Alice had opted to wear white smart shorts and a black lacy top. Her short pixie hair was charmed into a lavender colour.

Hermione had put on her red, decently short pleated skirt and a black, short-sleeved silk turtleneck sweater. Her outfit was completed with black set of bracelets, borrowed from Alice. She had put on a light smoky-eye makeup, and spelled her hair into submission. This time her hair was straight, reaching easily all the way down to her bum. As she eyed her outfit from the mirror, she had to admit that the overall look was rather sensual – but nice.

"So… _Someone's_ gonna regret his decisions after he sees you," Mary said with a knowing smile as she eyed Hermione through the mirror. "You look stunning, Hermione." She said and winked at her. Alice and Lily beamed at Hermione and nodded in agreement.

Hermione worried her lip. "Not that I want to make him regret or anything…but, thanks. So do all of you." She said and smiled at her friends.

Marlene frowned. "I still don't get it why he ended it…He was so different with you. Like… _really_ into you…" She said as she put on her earrings.

Hermione gave her a tight smile but said nothing. Everyone was now ready and they started to head towards the door.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to have someone new pining after you, you know…" Marlene continued and gave Hermione a mischievous smile while Lily and Alice giggled.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just to be clear. I don't want _anyone_ to pine after me," She said defiantly.

Marlene shrugged and together they left the dormitory.

* * *

In the common room, the party was already going strong. Hermione saw a party game taking place near the staircase to the boys' dormitories, and a group of sixth year boys drinking shots at the bar. The Marauders and the Quidditch team members were sitting near the fireplace, chatting and laughing with each other, while a mix of fourth- and fifth-year girls were giggling in the centre of the room that was transfigured to a dance floor. Alice, Mary and Marlene made their way towards the fireplace, while Lily stayed behind with Hermione and gave her a hesitant look.

"You coming?" Lily asked and nudged her head towards the fireplace.

Hermione eyed the scene in front of them with a small frown creasing her brow. "You go, I'll be there in a moment, okay?" She said and smiled reassuringly to her friend.

Lily looked a bit suspicious but said nothing. Instead she nodded and made her way towards the fireplace where the rest of her friends and her boyfriend were situated.

As Hermione watched Sirius laugh with his teammates and friends, she felt a pang of loneliness wash over her. She heaved a sigh and contemplated what to do. Hermione knew it would be awkward if she was in the same group as he, since everything was still rather tense between them. She also felt a bit resentful towards her friends, as none of them seemed to realise that. _Well, Lily obviously had._ She thought and tried to clear her mind from all the fuzzy thoughts.

Hermione decided that she needed some fresh air. She knew she was only avoiding the inevitable, but she still snatched a tumbler of Firewhiskey from the table, a drink she generally disliked, and slipped out of the room.

She glanced around her – the balcony was empty. It was so quiet and peaceful there, and quite warm too, because of the several warming charms that had been placed on the balcony. Hermione took a couple of steps towards the railing and stuck her hand over it. She felt a rush of cold, fresh wind biting the tips of her fingers. She moved her hand back inside the balcony and gulped her drink down in one mouthful. It burned, and she coughed afterwards, her eyes watering. How someone could enjoy drinking that vile drink without making a face, was beyond her, Hermione thought and eyed the grounds under her as she leaned against the railing.

She could see a glimpse of the Quidditch pitch further away, the path towards the village passing it. She saw Hagrid's Hut positioned on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and could see a faint light glimmering on its window. Her eyes were drawn to the dark and eerie forest, with its secrets and various creatures.

She thought about how much had happened during the small amount of time she had been there. How different everything had been only a couple of weeks ago. The door to the balcony opened behind her, and Hermione tensed as Sirius came to lean against the railing beside her.

After a short moment, she turned to look at him.

"Hey." He said casually, offering her a glass of amber liquid.

Hermione shook her head. "I shouldn't. But thanks," she replied, forcing a small smile. She already felt the effects of her first drink, and feared that if she was too drunk, she would say or do something that she might regret later.

She gave him a quick once over, wondering what was on his mind. He was wearing skin-tight and ripped black jeans and a black t-shirt, paired with his worn leather jacket and dragonhide boots. When he saw her looking at him, Hermione averted her eyes quickly and scolded herself for checking him out.

Sirius eyed her questioningly, his mouth curving up a bit before he spoke. "Come on." He said softly, taking her hand and leading her towards a bench in the far corner of the balcony.

Hermione followed her obediently, capable to focus only to his touch, that brought chills on her skin, making her shiver.

As they reached the bench, she raised her eyebrows questioningly at him.

Sirius sat down and watched her through a small frown. "I'm not gonna bite you," he said quietly, supposedly meaning to joke, but it all came out too flat.

Hermione stood stiffly in place for a beat before she eventually sat down next to him, too curious not to.

Sirius sipped his drink in a moment of silence. "How're you doing?" He asked and gave her a searching look.

"I'm okay." She said and eyed him warily. _Why the sudden interest on her feelings?_

Sirius frowned, as if guessing her line of thought. "Why're you here alone?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "It's just…A bit difficult to be in the same group of friends, I guess..." Hermione muttered and shrugged.

His jaw twitched, and he glanced at his drink. "I know. And I don't want it to be like that…" He said quietly.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Me neither…"

"So…We're going to be in the same group and not be bothered by it, right?" He said with a hopeful smile.

Hermione laughed. "Sure…"

His expression became wistful as he studied her features. Hermione cleared her throat and began to feel a bit uncomfortable under his gaze.

"You look beautiful, Hermione." He said and gave her a smouldering look.

"Thank you…" She replied awkwardly, willing herself not to blush and not to avert her eyes.

"Hermione…" He said softly, his gaze burning into her, "I miss you."

She felt breathless and dizzy. "Sirius…"

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and stared deeply into her eyes as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. His gaze dropped onto her lips and he leaned slowly forward. Hermione could feel her heart pounding, and she swallowed hard. Sirius finally closed the distance between them and his lips found hers. Every thought fled from her mind as his lips caressed hers with such warmth and restrained need that she almost let herself get lost in the moment.

But as wonderful as it felt, Hermione knew they'd have to have a talk before engaging into anything. Did this mean something? Or was this just a small moment to satisfy their longing for each other, before returning back to being friends, or whatever they had been during the past weeks?

She shook her head to clear her mind and broke their kiss, backing away from him. She saw regret cross his eyes as he dropped his hand and cleared his throat, an apologetic expression taking over his features. That was all it took to answer to the question. Nothing had apparently changed. Hermione started to feel suffocated, and she needed to go somewhere else, to let herself breathe for a moment, to let her compile her thoughts for a while.

"I can't. I have to go," she whispered to him and with one final look to his beautiful stormy eyes that now were swirling with emotion, she left him to the balcony and went back to the common room and exited the tower. She had to think things through.

* * *

Hermione ended up in an unused classroom on the fourth floor – the same one she and Sirius had used when they had met Regulus a couple of months ago.

"So, this is what you Gryffindors do when you're having a party. Sitting in an empty classroom, alone, sulking," drawled a familiar and amused voice. Hermione turned to see Regulus standing at the door, a small smile tugging his lips. He came in and closed the door behind him.

"Reg," Hermione breathed in relief. She stood up from the floor where she was sitting and walked up to him. Without hesitation, she circled her arms around him and buried her face into his neck.

"W-What?" Regulus stammered with a stunned expression. He seemed to be quite taken aback for a long moment, but then his arms circled her back lightly.

"Has something happened?" He murmured against her hair, and when Hermione didn't reply to him, Regulus pulled back slightly and cradled her cheek with his other hand, while the other stayed at her waist.

His eyes moved between hers, taking in her supposedly frustrated and sorrowful expression before he spoke. "Has my brother done something?" He asked calmly.

Hermione stared into his questioning eyes, eyes that were exactly the same beautiful stormy grey colour than his brother's. Hermione frowned and tried not to think about him.

"Nothing…" Hermione mumbled, but as Regulus gave her a pointed look, she swallowed hard before she spoke again, "He…sort of kissed me at the party…"

"And?" He asked mutedly, his gaze unwavering.

Hermione chewed the corner of her mouth. "I said I couldn't…I mean, I don't think he even wanted anything more than…I mean, he hasn't even spoken to me after our break-up..." She muttered incoherently and gave him a helpless look.

Regulus was quiet for a moment before he spoke, his eyes moving somewhere over her shoulder. "I don't mean to make any excuses for him but…I think he's just a bit messed up right now. I think… even he doesn't know what to do." He said quietly, glancing back at her before dropping his hands away from her cheek and her waist.

Hermione pressed her lips together. "I don't want to talk about him… How did you know I was here?" She asked, eyeing him in confusion.

He shrugged. "I didn't. I guess we're drawn in together or something," He said jokingly through a feeble smile, as if trying to make the situation lighter, to make her laugh.

But it did the exact opposite. It made her stomach jolt and her head spin slightly. "I guess." Hermione whispered and looked at him carefully, only then realising how intimately they were positioned. _Only moments ago she was pressed against him, for Circe's sake! Even now she was so close to him she could count the lashes in his eyes._

He stared back with a piercing look. Something fluttered again in her belly and she averted her eyes from his and swallowed hard. She knew what it was. She knew the feeling. The urge to be closer to him, to touch him, to kiss him. Hermione took a deep breath as she realised that she was feeling something more than a platonic friendship towards him.

The attraction was now rather obvious, and she wondered if it had been there the entire time, and she merely hadn't realised it before. And he was still there, unmoving. Hermione slowly moved her eyes back to his face, trying to see what he was thinking, and if the feeling was in fact mutual. She licked her lips unsurely, and as his eyes dropped slightly to follow her tongue's movements, she knew there was something.

Slowly, hesitantly, she brought her hands to rest against his chest, trying to gauge his reaction. Hermione could feel his muscles tensing under her touch as he eyed her closely, his breath slightly quickened. As her eyes moved down towards his lips, she saw him swallow deeply, his throat bobbing.

Hermione took in a shaky breath, gathered her courage and raised herself onto the tips of her toes. She brought her lips against his and kissed him softly. He didn't move. He didn't even blink. He only breathed heavily against her lips and held himself very still, as if trying to decide whether to stay or to leave.

"Reg…?" Hermione asked hesitantly as she pulled back a bit, starting to feel alarmed.

 _Oh no…Oh, Merlin…What had she done?_ She screamed to herself inwardly, and before she could think of anything else, he was reaching for her.

One hand slid beneath the fall of her hair. His other hand caught her around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. He crushed his lips against hers and kissed her with a hunger and wild desire that made a great shudder rack her body. Needing to feel him, to touch him, she slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, her fingertips skimming his neck as she studied the curves and hollows of his muscular frame.

Hermione trailed kisses down his jaw while his hand slid from her waist to her hips, his breath hot and unsteady against her cheek. She brushed her lips along his neck, and felt his muscles flex against her breasts as he let out a soft groan, his fingers pressing against her skin through her clothing. Regulus pulled her back up to meet his lips, and groaned again as he took possession of her mouth, devouring her as she writhed in need against him, giving him the sweetest of sighs as their lips glided against each other.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, opening her lips to his tongue. Regulus let out a huff of breath as their tongues met, before he proceeded to taste her slowly, sensually, humming approvingly as he felt her tongue start stroking his in the same pace.

His touch and his taste awakened an urgent and restless yearning inside her, and sent heat pooling low and deep in her belly. She revelled in the taste of him, the feel of him, and the sounds he let out as she slid her fingers into his black hair and lightly yanked it, receiving a soft nip on her lips afterwards.

Without breaking their kiss, Regulus's both hands slid under her shirt, his knuckles skimming the skin on her waist. Hermione shivered and panted against his lips as she felt the hot rush of desire fill her again.

"You're so soft," he whispered against her mouth, breathing heavily as his fingers continued to trace slow, teasing patterns. His hands were ascending slowly towards her breasts. Hermione almost forgot to breathe.

"You're so perfect." Regulus murmured and Hermione gasped as his fingers traced the undersides of her breasts. She pressed her pelvis against his, feeling him hot and hard inside his slacks, before she pulled him to meet her lips again.

With a groan of defeat, he took her hands from his neck and brought them in front of him. "Hermione…we need to stop." He said panting heavily, his eyes widened with arousal and horror. "I know I don't want to, trust me, but…" He said and swallowed hard. "You've just broken up with my brother…" He continued and frowned at her, looking disappointed and apologising at the same time.

Hermione was taken aback, embarrassed by her behaviour and hastily took a step back, pulling her hands away from his grasp.

"I-I'm sorry," She stammered, looking away from him, feeling nothing but shame and confusion. _What had she done?_

Hermione couldn't even grasp what had just happened, and how she could've acted like she had. She had kissed Regulus, _kissed him_ , for Merlin's sake! And, no…she hadn't just kissed him, she had thoroughly _snogged_ him. Sirius's brother.

Hermione bit her lip hard, tasting blood in her mouth, starting to feel nauseated. She glanced at Regulus, and then…at the same time, she couldn't help but think how good he had felt, so perfect, and so right for her that she was left with a longing to be in his arms again. _What the hell was happening to her?_

Regulus observed her rush of panic silently before he spoke. "Hermione…love…don't be. I'm not sorry I kissed you..." He said softly, giving her arm a squeeze. "But I don't want to be used to get back at my brother..." he said grimly, studying her reaction.

Hermione took in a sharp breath. "You're not. I'm not trying get back at him," Hermione said sincerely and swallowed. "I just…I don't know what to do now…" She said slowly and gave him a helpless look.

Regulus gave her a small smile. "You have to figure that out…And perhaps talk things through with Sirius…" he muttered, giving her a hesitant look.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

They parted their ways and Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor tower, her mind in a haze. She barely noticed that the party was still going on, and her friends were all having fun as she walked across the common room and climbed up to the seventh-year girls' dormitory.

She quickly put her nightgown on and washed her face and teeth before slipping under her warm comforter. She couldn't sleep. All her thoughts were at her recent encounter with Regulus. She felt stricken and embarrassed of kissing him. She didn't even know how she felt about Sirius…What did he want? What did she want?

Hermione felt guilty as she realised that the year was soon ending, and that she had been in this time for almost five months and not succeeding in doing almost anything that mattered.

She still hadn't found a way back to her old life. She still hadn't managed to destroy a single Horcrux. She still hadn't learned to master the Fiendfyre curse. All she had done was letting herself get caught in a romance drama. She wanted to scream at her stupidity. Well, sure, she had studied. She _had_ changed the fates of Gideon and Fabian. Maybe. And she _had_ made an ally of Regulus – they needed him to obtain at least one of the Horcruxes. Although…She had now managed to make even that more complicated than it had to be. Sighing, she decided to focus on what she was meant to do from now on.

* * *

 **December 18th 1977 (Sunday)**

Hermione was determined to avoid everyone on Sunday, the day after the party. She needed to think things through, to sort out her priorities. As the girls were leaving for lunch, Hermione had informed them that she was feeling a bit under the weather and opting to stay in bed.

As the hours went by and her friends hadn't come back to the dorm, she decided to pay a quick visit to the kitchen, since she was starting to feel a bit hungry. Unfortunately, Sirius ran into her as she entered the common room on her way back from the kitchen.

"Oh…Hey." He muttered a bit awkwardly. "Where were you?"

Hermione shrugged. "I had a late lunch in the kitchen…Just wanted to be by myself for a bit…" She said tightly.

Sirius looked regretful. "Yeah, sure…I'm sorry…I um…" he said and let out a sigh, threading a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have kissed you. Please forgive me?" He said quietly, giving her an apologetic look.

She felt a mix of hurt and shame as she thought about the previous night. She was still slightly bothered by his behaviour, since it had obviously been only a drunken mistake, but that wasn't even close to the guilt she was feeling. She knew he wouldn't take it well if she told him about kissing Regulus.

"Sirius…what's going on? What was that…yesterday?" She asked hesitantly, even though she assumed she knew what it had been.

He watched her guiltily. "I made a real hash of things…" He muttered.

Hermione sighed with disappointment. "So…nothing's changed?" She asked quietly, feeling a mix of relief and discontent settle into her as he nodded in agreement.

"Nothing's changed…" He said remorsefully, staring at the floor.

He groaned and shoved both his hands through his hair. "Can't we just be friends?" He asked after a moment of silence, looking dejected.

Hermione frowned at him, her emotions in disorder. A small part of her wished that everything had changed. That they could continue from where they left off. But nothing had, and even if it would have changed, she couldn't be with him anymore. She had to focus on the Horcruxes, and if she were to be with him, she knew he would expect her to tell him the truth. She knew he wouldn't approve her endeavours regarding the cursed objects.

Then there was Regulus, and the fact that she had kissed him, and how she had realised that she had more than friendly feelings for him.

She knew she should've told Sirius then and there, but she couldn't. Perhaps she could just forget about it. Perhaps it didn't mean anything. But somehow, she knew she was lying to herself.

"I think that will take time…But…I'd like that." She said kindly.

Sirius gave her a nod and eyed her carefully. "You…um…You know how we talked about catching up on the holidays? To see a couple of flats?" He asked and grimaced. "I mean…It'd be nice if you still wanted to come, but I understand if don't want to…" He muttered, eyeing her with an unsure look.

She had already forgotten about that. When Sirius's uncle had left him his early inheritance, the raven-haired boy had asked Hermione to go to apartment hunting with him during the holidays. It felt like a lifetime ago when they'd discussed it.

"Oh, well, sure…I'll…I'll come. Just…Owl me?" She said aloofly, taking a few cautious steps towards the girls' dormitory.

Sirius seemed a bit surprised but merely nodded in agreement. She gave him a one last glance before she exited the common room and headed back to her dormitory to spend the rest of the day in bed.

* * *

 **December 21st 1977 (Wednesday)**

It was the last day of school for the year, and the train was leaving the next day, taking the students to their homes for the holidays. Everyone was in high spirits at the breakfast table, sharing their holiday plans to one another.

"We're staying home, probably having some family over. Although there's this New Year's party my folks throw every year, to which you're all invited." James announced happily to the seventh year Gryffindors, who all promised to come. The invitation caused an excited discussion, mainly on the girls' behalf - about the nature of the party and the apparently massive guest list. Hermione tuned out from the conversation after a while and let her gaze wander through the Great Hall.

Her eyes landed at the Slytherin table, and she spotted Regulus easily. He was sitting next to Snape, and they were in the middle of a discussion. Suddenly, Regulus turned slightly and glanced at her, as if sensing that she was looking at him. He stared at her with a blank expression at first, but then his mouth curved up a bit. She gave him a hesitant smile and noticed then that Snape was looking at her as well, with an annoyed glare plastered on his face. Hermione averted her eyes and turned to pay attention to her friends again.

"What about you, Hermione?" Lily asked from the other side of the table, where she was sitting with James, Sirius, Remus and Mary, their backs to the Slytherin table.

Hermione shrugged. "Just staying with dad," She said vaguely.

Although that was not exactly the case. On Monday, they had had another encounter of 'Taming of the Fiendfyre' – something that she had started to call their practices in her head. After a long and exhausting night, during which everyone had made progress – some more than others, Hermione had thought bitterly, as she had watched both Prewetts extinguish the cursed flames successfully – Gideon and Fabian had walked her back to the Gryffindor tower.

 _"So Hermione. Do you have any holiday plans?" Fabian asked as they walked along the dark and empty corridors._

 _She shrugged. "Nothing much. Just staying with Ab and having a Christmas dinner in the castle."_

 _The twins glanced at each other, exchanging a meaningful look._

 _"Would you like to come to the Burrow with us some day during your holidays?" Gideon asked, while Fabian eyed her expectantly._

 _"Oh…I don't know…" She said hesitantly. The truth was, she wanted to go. Badly. She just didn't want to intrude._

 _"You're not intruding." Fabian clarified after reading her expression. Gideon gave her a smirk._

 _Hermione tensed and then grinned at how good they had become knowing what she was thinking._

 _Fabian gave her a nudge as they neared the Gryffindor tower. "So? Will you come?"_

 _Hermione frowned. "I'd love to, if that's okay with everyone…But won't Molly and Arthur suspect something if you bring a student to dinner?" She asked, eyeing the brothers._

 _"Nah, we'll just tell them you're Gideon's girlfriend." Fabian said with a teasing smirk._

 _Hermione's eyes widened. "W-What? You can't do that! And…He's a teacher, Fabian." She scolded him._

 _Both twins sniggered._

 _"Okay, Okay," Fabian said with lifting his hands in surrender. "I already told them you're with me," he said with a wink. Hermione sent him a glare and huffed in annoyance._

In the end, they had agreed that she would meet Gideon and Fabian in the village next Wednesday, the 28th of December, and from there, they would head towards the Burrow together.

She would be meeting Sirius as well during the holidays, but she didn't really want to talk about that with the others either. She didn't even know how she felt about it, or why in the name of Merlin she had agreed to meet him. When everyone had shared their plans, the Gryffindors started to get ready for their first class, which was Arithmancy for Hermione, Lily and Alice, and Care of Magical Creatures for the boys and Mary.

* * *

"Are you prepared for the Christmas Eve gathering?" Snape murmured quietly next to Regulus.

"Of course." Regulus replied absently. He glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione eyeing him with a thoughtful expression. Snape voiced something next to him but Regulus's focus was entirely on her. His mouth unintentionally curved a bit and she replied to him with a sweet little smile.

"Your inability to feign close attention doesn't really astonish me," Snape hissed, watching his friend with an irritated look.

Regulus turned to look at his friend and saw the fuming Slytherin send a dirty look towards Hermione.

"Watch it." He said quietly, his eyes holding a warning.

Snape rolled his eyes and glared at him. "You think I liked watching your little tryst on Saturday?" he asked with a disgusted face.

They had been practicing Legilimency against each other, trying to block the other intruding their mind by putting up their Occlumency shields. Snape had managed to break through Regulus's shields, catching a glimpse of the memory of Regulus snogging Hermione. His friend had also, unfortunately, caught up on the feelings that had coursed through him at that moment – how Regulus had felt a surge of yearning and bliss as Hermione's lips had touched his, and how the feelings had quickly turned into craving and lust.

Regulus merely shrugged. "Well, you never know…" He said wryly.

"You know you have to do better than that. My skills are nothing compared to _his_ , and you know it." Severus hissed.

Regulus sighed and looked down. His friend was right. The Dark Lord wouldn't have any hindrances delving through his mind, if he didn't try harder to empty his mind. The problem was that the kiss with Hermione was constantly on the forefront of his mind. He would have to try to bury it somewhere deep, in case the Dark Lord would search his mind.

* * *

"You talked with her?" James asked as he was walking along the path on the grounds with Sirius, towards where their class took place, while Remus, Mary and Peter were strolling ahead of them.

"Yeah." Sirius grunted, not looking at his mate.

"And?" James pressed on.

"What?"

James sighed. "Are you two okay now?" He asked a bit impatiently.

Sirius glanced at his friend and shrugged. "Guess so."

"Just friends?"

"Yeah."

"Shite." James said with a frown, threading his hand through his hair, making it stick up even more than before.

Sirius sighed. "Yeah."

* * *

After lunch, Hermione slumped into her seat in the Potions class and glanced at her partner, Snape.

"How graceful of you." He taunted, not even looking at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What's your problem, Snape?" She hissed at him. The class hadn't yet started, as the students were still moving onto their seats.

"I beg your pardon?" He drawled, turning to look at her with an arched brow, his face otherwise void of emotion.

"You heard me. Have I done something to offend you?" Hermione said and stared at him defiantly.

He looked back with a stony expression for a moment. "You Gryffindors always think the world evolves around you." He jeered, rolling his eyes and turning to look at the front of the class where Slughorn had started to hand the assignments.

Hermione let out an annoyed huff, and Snape gritted his teeth.

"What? My breathing is annoying you?" Hermione said sharply.

He merely glanced at her direction before he stood up and spoke with a demanding voice. "Start the cauldron," he said before heading towards the cupboard to get the ingredients.

Hermione sighed and counted to ten inwardly, before getting to work. He didn't talk to her for the rest of their lesson, as they prepared a Potion for Dreamless Sleep. When their class was over, Hermione turned to Snape.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked after Snape had given samples of their brew to Slughorn and returned to pack away his belongings.

Snape regarded her coolly and then nodded stiffly. Hermione lifted her brows in surprise and followed him out from their potions classroom, glancing back to her friends, who hadn't noticed her leaving with Snape.

He led them to an empty classroom in the dungeons and stood near to the door, with a stony expression edged on his face, waiting for her to talk. She frowned for a moment before she spoke.

"Why do I have a feeling that you don't accept Regulus's friendship with me?" She asked slowly, staring at him with and expectant look.

Snape watched her, a faint sneer outlining his face. " _Friendship?_ " he drawled with an arched brow.

 _Oh, great. He knows._

Hermione sighed. "Well, whatever it is. For some reason you've become more hostile towards me than you were in the beginning of our term. Why is that?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Perhaps I just don't like you." Snape said with an emotionless voice.

Hermione scoffed. "That doesn't mean you have to be rude to me, does it?"

He stared at her for a while with a blank look. "Do you enjoy having the both Blacks worshipping at your shrine?" He asked darkly.

Hermione's brows shot up at his words. "What are you, jealous that I'm spending time with your friend?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Snape rolled his eyes. "You really are as unintelligent as you look." he said coldly.

"What does that mean? You are protecting him? From me?" Hermione continued. "I hardly think that's necessary. I mean him no harm." She said, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"Your mere presence around him gives him harm. I trust you know what is expected of him?" He hissed, looking at her with an arched brow.

Hermione blanched. "You…you mean to tell me that I should…What? Back off? Not be his friend?" She asked faintly.

Snape merely looked at her.

She cleared her throat, feeling a bit taken aback. "Is that why you and Lily are no longer friends?" She asked and gave him a pointed look.

His eyes widened only slightly, but she saw it nevertheless. "That is none of your business." He snapped.

Hermione hummed in response. "There you have it." She said and gave him an annoying smirk.

Snape sneered at her.

"So…You're really over it? Her. You don't wish to be her friend anymore?" She asked with a small hesitation. Snape looked away. Hermione saw his jaw clenching.

"Even if I wanted to, I'm quite sure she will never forgive me." He grumbled quietly, still looking away.

Hermione tried not to look surprised. Perhaps all he needed was a kick on his arse? Not that she really was a fan of him. Even if there was more to Dumbledore's death than what seemed to be obvious, and even if Snape had had an agreement with the Headmaster, he still had been horrible to her during her school years. Nevertheless, she knew that if Lily and Snape were to be friends, it would change certain events. She could prevent bad things from happening to her friends.

She was quiet for a while before she spoke. "You know…She might forgive you, if you tried apologising. But you'd have to really try then. You'd have to make an effort. Because if you continue on the path on which you are now, you will lose her forever." She said and when he didn't reply, she left the room.


	20. Christmas & New Year

**A/N:** Thank you reading and for your reviews! I'm grateful that you guys like this story :) Sooo...here's a _small and short_ Easter treat for you - two chapters on the same day!

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Christmas & New Year**

 **December 22nd 1977 (Thursday)**

Regulus slipped into the compartment where Snape was already sitting, alone, his nose buried in a book. The younger Slytherin sat down opposite to his friend and gave him a long stare as the train left the Hogsmeade station.

"By all means, say what it is that you're bursting to get out." Snape drawled while looking up from his book.

"Did you speak with Hermione?" Regulus asked calmly. Even though his voice was calm, his eyes were not.

Professor Slughorn had organised a small Christmas party for his selected students the previous night. Hermione had been there, but she hadn't even spared a glance at Regulus's direction; instead she had merely chatted with others for the entire night. After some time, Regulus had figured out that Snape probably had something to do with her behaviour, since the Gryffindor girl had sent dirty glares towards his Slytherin friend throughout the night.

Snape scoffed. "That is the only detail you're worried about?" He asked and gave Regulus an incredulous look.

Regulus merely huffed at him.

Snape's brow twitched slightly. "I simply implied to her that her friendship with you might cause you harm in the end. And that she ought to stay away from you…" He said indifferently and threw a silencing charm to the door. "You do realise what is about to happen during the holidays? And what is expected from us?" He hissed warningly.

"Yes. I know, Sev. Thank you for reminding me," Regulus said wryly, looking away from him. "But my friendship with Hermione doesn't concern you."

Regulus knew there was no place for any doubt when facing the Dark Lord. Regulus and Snape had gathered that the Dark Lord would indeed use Legilimency against them to ensure their allegiances. Regulus could only hope that his Occlumency shields were strong enough, and that the Dark Lord wouldn't be overly interested to look what else could be found from the corners of his mind, and instead would only focus on the thoughts and memories regarding Regulus's genuineness to participate in his cause.

Snape shook his head in disbelief. "You're as ignorant as your brother," Snape said with resentment. Regulus huffed before Snape continued, "Why are you so eager to risk your life, and mine as well for that matter, because of some insignificant bint you desire at the moment?" Snape snapped.

Regulus narrowed his eyes at him. "Then let me express my gratitude for keeping my business to yourself." He replied snidely, while Snape scoffed. Regulus ignored his friend and continued, "But you know quite well that Hermione is not the reason." He said and gave Snape a pointed look.

For some reason, Snape looked more or less unbelieving with his assertion but chose not to argue with him. Instead his expression turned quickly into a sneer. "Your brother?"

Regulus's mouth quirked up a bit. "Of course, there is also the aspect of _him_ being, you know, a genocidal sociopath, but whatever suits you." Regulus muttered with a shrug.

Snape suppressed a smirk.

They were silent for a while before Regulus spoke again. "I know where my loyalties lie, Sev. Do you?" He said quietly, staring at his friend straight into his black eyes and emotionless features.

Snape didn't reply to his question. "You're digging your own grave." He said instead, with a hint of consternation slipping through his indifferent mask.

Regulus smirked. "Don't tell me you have begun to care about me, Sev."

When his friend gave him a mild glare in reply, Regulus continued more solemnly. "I have to do this. I don't have a choice," He said with a determined look in his eyes.

Snape merely eyed him with a slight frown edged onto his brow.

* * *

 **December 24th 1977 (Saturday)**

They were escorted through the entrance of a large ballroom in the Nott Manor, where their host of the evening was waiting for them. The man was tall and he had wavy black hair and a cunning look in his eyes as he eyed the arriving guests. Regulus believed that the man was around his fifties, the same age as his parents.

"Orion, Walburga. Always a pleasure." Mr. Nott said, shaking their hands with a small nod that indicated a bow. His smile did not reach his eyes. "And this must be the heir to the House Black? Regulus, I presume?" Mr. Nott continued as his eyes moved to left, where Regulus stood.

"Indeed. This is our son, Regulus." Walburga smiled proudly, as Regulus nodded his head politely and shook the extended hand Mr. Nott held out to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Regulus said to the older wizard. Nott nodded in approval and then gestured for them to enter further to the room.

With a grunt, Orion navigated towards the bar. Walburga nudged her son. "Go on, dear, mingle. I believe some of your friends have already arrived," She whispered and gave him a pointed look towards the opposite side of the room, where Regulus saw Snape and Amycus Carrow talking with two other men, whom he recognised as Slytherins who had graduated last year.

Regulus nodded curtly at his mother and headed towards his friend, while Walburga spotted some of her acquaintances and approached them. As Regulus reached the group of young men, he shared a meaningful look with Snape before nodding at him in greeting.

"Black," Amycus Carrow greeted coolly.

"Carrow."

"We are expected in the drawing room," Carrow continued, after Regulus had given a curt nod to the other two men in their company.

Carrow turned towards the hall and the drawing room. Regulus, Snape and the two men followed him, and as they reached their destination, they saw a long table, around which nearly every seat was taken. The two men who had come into the room with them took their seats at the table. As Regulus's eyes took in his surroundings, he saw familiar faces everywhere he looked. On one side of the table sat the Malfoys, the Averys, and the Lestranges with his cousin Bellatrix, and on the other side sat Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov and Alecto Carrow.

Regulus hadn't met everyone in person yet, but as the heir of House Black, it was expected of him to recognise the members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. His eyes travelled to the head of the table, where a man with black hair and pale skin was seated. The man watched the arrivals with interest as Carrow spoke, presenting the new arrivals to him. To the Dark Lord. After making the announcement, Carrow bowed deeply and retreated to the table, taking a seat next to his sister.

Regulus and Snape too bowed politely to the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord eyed them for a moment. "I've heard many praises regarding the both of you. The young Black heir and the half-blood who runs with Muggles," He said with a threatening chuckle.

Regulus and Snape both stared ahead of them with blank expressions.

"I am curious, Mister Snape, have your thoughts regarding the ill-bred changed?"

"Yes, they have, my Lord. I've learned that Muggle-borns are simply not the same as the rest of us, and I acknowledge that they are indeed unworthy of possessing magical ability." Snape said mildly, but Regulus knew he was fighting to appear nonchalant.

The Dark Lord seemed to contemplate Snape's words and said nothing as his eyes turned to Regulus. "Mister Black. As a member of an ancient Pure-blood family which is known for their devotion to blood purity, I'm rather curious to hear your thoughts regarding the Half-bloods. Seeing as you have formed companionships with them," He said in a serpentine way.

 _Fuck._

Regulus supressed a shiver and instead tried to seem thoughtful. "I believe some of them have their place in this world, and can be tolerated out of necessity. They can be taught to pureblood customs and traditions." He said indifferently, cursing inwardly. _Of course the Dark Lord fucking knew about his friendship with Hermione._ Regulus could only hope that that was all the Dark Lord knew.

The Dark Lord lifted a brow and looked at him thoughtfully. "Is that so...?" He muttered darkly. "And what about the Blood-traitors?"

Regulus knew that they would be questioned how they felt about Muggles, Muggle-borns and Blood-traitors, since they were seen as enemies of the Dark Lord and his followers. Then there was the matter of Snape's history with the certain red-haired Gryffindor, which the Dark Lord surely knew of, as well as the fact that Regulus's brother was disowned from his family, and was now living with known Blood-traitors.

"I consider them to be nearly as bad as the Muggle-borns. As you might be aware, in my family we tend to disown the Blood-traitors." He said matter-of-factly, fighting back the nausea he was feeling. "That being said, I believe that it is a pity to spill pure blood."

The Dark Lord smiled with an evil glint in his eyes. "Indeed it is." He said cunningly and flicked his wand. Regulus tried not to show the fear and anxiety that were coursing through him and instead tried to focus on watching ahead and keeping himself still.

An unconscious and apparently injured man appeared above the table, floating a few inches in the air.

"And now…To those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting our guest, we are joined tonight by Frank Meadowes, a muggle policeman, who is married to a blood-traitor, Dorcas Meadowes," The Dark Lord said with malice, and many of his followers around the table began to chuckle.

He flicked his wand and revived the man, Frank, who began to groan in pain and fear, as his eyes started to dart around in panic.

The Dark Lord stared at Regulus and Snape, and Regulus could feel his mind being searched. Neither of them dared to look away.

After a moment the Dark Lord spoke. "Does he, a mere Muggle, serve a purpose in this world?" He said with a chilling tone, his wand pointed on the man floating above the table who had started to make muffled sounds of horror.

Regulus glanced at the Muggle, and then at the Dark Lord, and tried to breathe steadily, not letting his voice waver. "No."

"Avada Kedavra!"

* * *

 **December 25th 1977 (Sunday)**

On Christmas Day, Hermione woke up to several inches of fresh snow outside. As she took a walk through the village in the morning, she couldn't help but think that Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow. She saw holly wreaths on doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging on the trees. It was a beautiful sight, so peaceful and quiet. After her walk, she went back to the pub to have breakfast with Ab and to open the small pile of presents that was stacked under the Christmas tree in their sitting room.

"Told you not to get me anything," Ab muttered, inspecting a book he had found inside the wrappings; 'The myth of Theseus and Ariadne'.

He stared at the book for a moment and then turned his eyes on Hermione. She cringed slightly in anticipation, wondering how he would react. He was probably aware of the parallels between the myth and his sister Ariana's relationship with her two elder brothers.

"Thank you," He grumbled and gave her a small nod. She sighed in relief.

"No problem. And you didn't have to get me anything either," She said with a bashful smile, glancing at the luxury eagle-feather quill and a poach of galleons he had given her.

Aberforth chuckled. "Would have been a bit inconsiderate…You are my 'daughter' after all." He gave her a smile when Hermione thanked him for the presents.

She opened her other presents which included a piece of too-hard treacle fudge from Hagrid, a fragrance in a beautiful bottle from Lily, a vast selection of beauty and bath products from Mary and Marlene, and a book of beauty spells from Alice.

Hermione knew the girls in her dorm would exchange gifts, and she had found something for them as well. For Lily, she had bought a beautiful bracelet set in Gryffindor colours, for Mary a men-themed muggle calendar to replace her old one, and for Alice, a set of two-way mirrors, one of them to be given to Frank, so that they could keep in touch. The set of mirrors had easily been her most expensive purchase, but definitely worth it. For Marlene she had given a gift certificate to a beauty product shop in Hogsmeade.

Dumbledore had gifted Hermione a resizable potions kit that included a variety of different potions and antidotes to common and uncommon poisons, as well as a bezoar. She was surprised to have received a present from Sirius – an original collection of William Shakespeare's plays; the 1623 First Folio. She had once told him that Shakespeare was her all-time favourite author, and that her mother had read her _The Winter's tale_ – by which she was named after – when she was a child. He had remembered. But she hadn't certainly expected anything from him, especially not an original and rare collection.

"Merlin…" Hermione breathed, inspecting the book. "This must've costed an arm and a leg…Where did he even find one?" She whispered in astonishment, while Ab watched her closely.

It was a very thoughtful and personal gift, and it was too much. She knew that the First Folio was one of the most valuable printed books in the world. It must've been worth at least two million pounds. Why on earth would he give it to her? She knew he still cared about her a lot, the book alone told her as much, and even though she cared for him too, she couldn't help but think that the gift was not…appropriate. During the past weeks, Hermione had succeeded to not think about their break-up, and now she couldn't think of anything else. _Why did he have to be so confusing?_ She put the book carefully back into its box, inside the silk covers.

Ab interrupted her depressed thoughts. "Hermione…" Ab muttered. He seemed to sense her forlornness and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

"There's still one left." He said, distracting her and pointing at the table where they had gathered the presents.

Curiosity won the melancholy she felt and she took the small gift in her hands, wondering by whom it was given. Inside the wrappings, she found a small pouch, and as she turned it upside down, a beautiful white gold and emerald bracelet fell into her palm. She let out a small gasp as the bangle touched her skin, feeling a jolt of magic surge through her. Hermione blinked at the obviously expensive piece of jewellery, with its graduated prong-set emeralds which were set against white gold, on a delicate cable chain. There wasn't any room for inscription but she found a note inside the parcel.

It read ' _libera a malo'._

"Who do you reckon gave you that?" Aberforth said, eyeing the bracelet with a hint of suspicion.

Hermione had a fair guess. The inscription in Latin screamed of a Pureblood, while the colouring hinted towards a certain House in Hogwarts. Not to mention the Latin words, translated to _deliver from harm,_ which served probably as an inscription as well as an enchantment, to protect the wearer. The gift was from someone who knew she was facing dangers or needed protection. _Regulus_.

Hermione gave the bracelet an incredulous shake of head. "I think I know who gave it." She said and huffed, "And it's far too expensive!"

Aberforth smirked and said nothing on the matter.

They spent their morning leisurely in the closed pub, talking and reading their books, until it was time to get ready for the Christmas feast at the school. Hermione went to her room to freshen up and change clothing. She put on a small amount of makeup and tamed her hair into sleek curls, using a spell she had learned from the book Alice had given her. She put on a simple but nice grey dress and went downstairs where Ab was waiting for her.

As they walked towards the school, Hermione could sense the argument Aberforth was having inside his head. He was about to say something to her when she interrupted him.

"You are coming, Ab. It is time you start putting your past, the guilt and hatred behind, and move on. I know it won't happen in a flick of a wand, but showing up to the meal and being on your best behaviour is a start." She said reassuringly, looking at his eyes intently. "Okay?"

Ab groaned a bit. "Fine," he grumbled.

Hermione smirked at herself, looping her arm with his as they neared the school premises. The whole school was decorated beautifully, with holly hung around every doorway, and with shining white Christmas trees in every corner, covered in magical snow and glittering icicles, each topped with a gleaming gold star. The Great Hall was decorated with the usual twelve enormous Christmas trees with tiny sparkling icicles and hundreds of glittering candles. There was only one long table placed in the middle of the Great Hall, where all the teachers and students who were staying in the school over the holidays could fit.

As Hermione and Aberforth sat down at the table, which was stacked with several roast turkeys, mountains of roasted and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce, Hermione heard her stomach rumble loudly.

The Headmaster was clearly astounded that his brother was joining them, but managed to smile nonetheless. "How wonderful to have you both here," Dumbledore said, greeting them kindly.

Hermione smiled and nodded to him, while Aberforth merely glanced at his brother and began to help himself some food. Everyone else was sitting still and waiting for a signal from the Headmaster to start the feast.

"Yes, by all means, tuck in everyone!" Dumbledore said to the people sitting around the table, with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Hermione shook her head in a mild amusement and started to fill her own plate. The Dumbledore brothers did not share any words during the Christmas feast, but Hermione could see a flash of gratefulness in the Headmaster's eyes as his gaze moved from his brother to Hermione.

After the feast, everyone started pulling wizard crackers and laughing to the items they found inside. Hermione pulled one with Ab and it went off with a blast like cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. On the opposite to them, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a baseball cap, and was chuckling merrily with Professor Flitwick who sat next to him, wearing a sombrero. Some time later, Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, to which Hagrid boomed along loudly, a goblet of eggnog sloshing in his hands as he sang.

It was nearing dusk when Hermione and Ab finally left the castle and walked towards the village. She reckoned she had had a wonderful time, and suspected that Ab too had enjoyed the evening in the castle.

* * *

 **December 28th 1977 (Wednesday)**

The Prewetts came to collect Hermione from the Hog's Head on Wednesday, early afternoon. They exchanged pleasantries with Ab, as they knew him already from the Order and saw him every now and then in the meetings. Even though Ab was in the Order, he never wanted to discuss Order business with Hermione. He had once told her that she ought to have at least one adult in her life that wasn't planning the next mission with her.

The twins waited downstairs as she made finishing touches on her attire – Hermione wanted to look her best when meeting the Weasleys for the first time. Again. Truth to be told, she was a tad nervous. _What if they didn't like her?_

"Hermione, if you're not coming downstairs and be ready to leave, I'm coming into your room." Fabian drawled behind her door, a grin evident in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation and went to open the door.

"I'm ready. Shall we?" She asked and glanced back at the room for one last time to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

"Wow. You cleaned up nicely, little Dumbledore," Fabian said, giving her a once over and a wink. Hermione pursed her lips and slapped him in the arm.

"Stop it. And we're _not_ dating, by the way." She said with a no-nonsense voice, her brows lifted pointedly. She walked past him and Fabian followed, laughing quietly.

"I have to say I'm a little disappointed. And I'm sure Molly will be too when she hears that the girl of my dreams broke my heart." he said, with mischief twinkling in his eyes as they descended the stairs.

Hermione whirled around in shock. "Please tell me you did not say that to her?!"

He merely grinned in reply and squeezed her shoulder as he walked past her in the stairway. Hermione huffed in irritation and followed him down into the pub where Gideon and Ab were waiting.

"I'll see you tonight, Ab," Hermione said and gave the man a quick hug. He was a bit stiff at the gesture but patted her back a bit clumsily.

"One of you sad sods better be escorting my girl back home tonight, alright?" Ab asked while giving both twins a narrow-eyed look.

Hermione was sure that the twins would give him some witty remark but instead both looked solemnly at the older wizard.

"Sure thing, Ab." Gideon said, while Fabian nodded in agreement.

They left the pub and headed towards the village apparition point. As they reached their destination, Gideon smirked at Hermione. "See you at the Burrow," he said and turned on the spot.

When Fabian took her hand, she snatched it back. "I know where it is," She said, watching him incredulously.

Fabian chuckled, holding his hand for her to take. "Yeah, I trust you do. But I'm not apparating miles outside the grounds when I can go straight through the wards, and you can too if you side-along." He said matter-of-factly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes to him. "Fine." She said, taking his hand. He smirked and together they disapparated from the village.

As they landed in the front of the Weasley home, Gideon was already running with two boys along the snowy front yard, throwing snowballs at each other. Fabian took Hermione's hand and guided her towards the house where a woman stood waiting with a wide smile on her face.

Hermione was taken aback as she recognised the familiar warm smile of Molly Weasley. Hermione quickly blinked to stop tearing up, as a pang of memories and melancholy lifted its ugly head inside her, telling her that if she was doomed to stay in this time, she would never have the kind of relationship she'd had with Ron's parents. The Weasleys had been like a second set of parents to her, helping her and Harry to adjust into the Wizarding world. Now, they weren't that far apart in age, and barely knew who she was.

"Sis," Fabian grinned at his sister, reaching out to envelope her into a crushing hug. Mrs. Weasley laughed and as they broke apart, she eyed her brother and Hermione expectantly.

"This is Hermione Dumbledore." Fabian said, and Hermione nervously shook Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand.

"It's good to finally meet you, Miss Dumbledore." She said with a warm smile.

Hermione smiled back to the younger Molly Weasley, trying not to delve on the thoughts in her head. As Hermione regarded Mrs. Weasley, she thought she was very beautiful at the age of twenty-eight. She looked very much like Ginny, with the similar long red hair, and a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

"It's Hermione," She replied softly. "It is good to meet you too, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for inviting me to your home. And by the way, we're not together." Hermione said quickly, nodding at Fabian, and both Molly and Fabian burst in laughter.

"I certainly hope not, since Fabian is engaged to my dear friend," Mrs. Weasley said, chuckling and wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "And call me Molly."

Hermione flushed red in embarrassment and narrowed her eyes at Fabian.

He lifted his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I never said I wasn't taken." He said, winking at her.

Hermione pursed her lips at him before she turned to look at Molly. Only then did she notice that the red-haired witch was pregnant. Hermione's eyebrows shot up a bit in surprise but she said nothing out of politeness. _The twins?_

"I'm twenty-five weeks in, in my second trimester." Molly explained as she noticed Hermione's expression. "Twins…and both boys." She gave an exasperated sigh and smiled. "Have three of those already."

"They must be a handful," Hermione said and smiled knowingly at her.

Molly and Fabian laughed, while Gideon and the boys were coming back towards the house.

"Kids, come meet a friend of ours," Molly said to the two boys who came to stand next to her. "This is Hermione."

A seven-year-old Bill and a-five-year-old Charlie stared at her curiously. Hermione knelt down to greet the boys. "Hi there," Hermione said to the boys with a wide smile, even though she felt a bit disoriented when meeting the boys she had known as grown men.

"This is my oldest, Bill." Molly said, and the boy in question gave Hermione a grin, with two front teeth missing. "And this is Charlie," She nodded at the younger boy, who eyed her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Are you Uncle Gideon's girlfriend?" He asked, and Hermione, Gideon and Fabian all chuckled, while Molly narrowed her eyes at Bill.

"William! Did you put your brother up to this?" Molly inquired sternly.

Bill merely shrugged innocently and smirked at his brother. Molly let out a huff of exasperation.

"No, you silly, she's a student. I'm her teacher." Gideon explained to Charlie, leaning to whisper in the younger boy's ear and ruffling his hair. Charlie's eyes widened in understanding.

"Shall we go inside?" Molly asked, shivering a bit from the cold wind. "Arthur will be home soon, and you two," She said, nodding at her brothers, "Can set the table."

The twins smirked at each other as they all went inside.

"Where's Perce?" Gideon asked as he started to set the plates on the table while Molly checked on the dinner. Fabian went to the sitting room with the boys and Hermione stood awkwardly in place, wondering if she could do something.

"He's napping upstairs," Molly quipped from the kitchen.

"I'd love to help if there's anything needed to be done?" Hermione asked from Molly.

"No, no, you are a guest," she said, shaking her head as she came from the kitchen to the dining area. "Besides, everything is almost ready." She then turned to Gideon. "You could offer the lady something to drink, hmm?" she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Gideon chuckled. "Well, since we are not in school at the moment…Hermione, can I get you a drink?" He asked as he finished with the table, moving towards a cabinet to grab a bottle. "Wine?"

Hermione shrugged. "Sure, why not." she said with a polite smile and a moment after took the glass of Merlot he handed her. Gideon gave a goblet of pumpkin juice to Molly, before filling his own wine glass.

"So…um…Fabian has a…fiancée?" Hermione asked awkwardly as they sat down at the table.

Molly smiled. "Yes, I mean, they are a bit secretive about their relationship, Emmie and him, but they've been together, what, two or three years already?" She said, turning to her brother for confirmation. Gideon nodded and sipped his wine.

"I guess they're waiting for calmer times, if you know what I mean." Molly muttered and gave Hermione a pointed look.

Hermione nodded in understanding. The war hadn't yet reached its peak, but it had started already. There had been disappearances every now and then, and Hermione knew that in her time, that was exactly how everything had started.

"Babbling about my love life are we?" Fabian chuckled as he sat down next to Molly and gave his sister a nudge. Molly rolled her eyes at him as the front door opened.

"Daddy!" Bill and Charlie yelled, both running into their father's arms. Hermione smiled at them and stood up, a bit anxious to meet the father-figure she'd had in her past.

As the boys released their father and went to sit down at the table, Arthur Weasley followed them and turned towards their guest with a huge grin on his face.

"You must be Miss Dumbledore?" He said and offered his hand for her to shake. "Arthur Weasley, a pleasure to meet you."

Hermione smiled politely back to the young man, who looked a lot like an older version of Percy. "It's Hermione. And it's a pleasure to meet you too, sir."

Arthur chuckled. "Well then, by all means, call me Arthur," he smiled and nodded, and then went to kiss his wife and shake hands with his brothers in law.

Molly poured her husband a glass of wine as he sat down at the table, seeming to be tired from the long day at work. Hermione returned to her seat next to Gideon.

"Dinner's ready soon, love. How was work?" Molly asked from Arthur, gazing at her husband with an affectionate look in her eyes.

Arthur gave an exasperated sigh. "You wouldn't believe what we managed to confiscate today at an inspection…" He said and shook his head slightly, explaining everyone about a number of regurgitating toilets that had been set for muggle-baiting.

Hermione sipped her wine and listened as Molly began to recount her day. She eyed the couple with a pensive look in her eyes as they looked warmly at each other, even after both having a tiresome day. Fabian saw her expression and nudged her leg under the table, shaking his head lightly after Hermione looked at him. She knew there was no use dwelling in her past, not there, in front of them.

A while after Molly stood up and levitated their dinner to the table. They all tucked in, and for a while, the scraping of cutlery was the only noise echoing in the room.

"So, Hermione. Gideon told us about, erm, that you are partly from a muggle heritage, is that right?" Arthur asked kindly, looking intrigued.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I am."

Arthur beamed at her. "I myself am a bit of a Muggle enthusiast," He explained, while Gideon and Fabian snorted. "Would you happen to know how exactly does a _fellytone_ work?" Arthur continued with a serious look.

Hermione tried not to grin and explained him about telephones, while Gideon, Fabian and Molly shook their heads in amusement at Arthur's passion for muggle devices.

A while later Percy woke up from his nap, just in time for them to have finished their dinner, and Molly brought him to sit into a highchair next to her seat. "This is Percy, my youngest." She said to Hermione, who waved to the little man. While Molly started to feed the happily jabbering toddler, Arthur, Gideon and Fabian stepped outside with the boys.

"I heard you have recently moved here from Australia," Molly said, while helping Percy to eat his dinner. "How are you adapting? Did you know anyone when you moved in here?" She asked and glanced at Hermione.

"Well, yes, I moved here during the summer." Hermione said, chewing the corner of her mouth. "…I think I have adjusted well. I mean, I've been a bit busy after the start of term, with the new classes and people." She said slowly and shrugged. "Originally, I didn't know anyone here other than my dad and my uncle, but I'm lucky to have made some new friends at Hogwarts." Hermione explained, smiling as she thought of how the seventh year Gryffindors had taken her in with open arms and without a doubt to be part of their group.

Molly smiled back at her. "That's nice. I also heard that you are exceptionally brilliant in your studies. By the sound of it, I believe you've become one of Gideon's favourite pupils," She said with a chuckle and Hermione tried to keep herself from smiling.

"I'm sure he is just exaggerating." She mumbled sheepishly.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm glad to have you here. We don't get that many visitors, since almost all my friends are working and not having children. Our schedules don't really match, and I'm nearly always with the kids, since Arthur works long hours…" She said with a frown.

"Thank you for having me." Hermione smiled and hesitated a bit. "If it's not an inconvenience…could I…write to you?" She asked uncertainly while Molly wiped Percy's face and lifted him from the highchair.

"That would be wonderful," Molly said, smiling brightly.

She went to put Percy onto the sitting room floor and Hermione followed them there. Percy played with his toys, while Molly and Hermione chatted about Hogwarts, and Molly even went as far as telling Hermione about one occasion when she and her dorm mates went skinny dipping into the Great Lake. Hermione guffawed and shook her head in astonishment while laughing with Molly. _Who knew Mrs. Weasley had had a reckless youth?_

As the men and the children came inside after an hour or so, Molly gave the boys their evening snack and baths, and told Bill and Charlie to go to their beds as she went to put Percy to sleep. Arthur went to help, while Hermione and the twins stayed in the sitting room.

"So, Hermione. As regrettable as it is that you're not dating either one of us…is there someone special you have set your eyes on?" Fabian asked with a teasing voice, eyeing her with a questioning look.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, there is not. Don't exactly have the time to date anyone, if you know what I mean." She said and gave him a pointed look.

Fabian inclined his head in agreement, while Gideon lifted his brows but said nothing. He of course knew Hermione had dated Sirius, but didn't know that they had broken up.

"What are you planning to do when you graduate?" Gideon asked, eyeing her thoughtfully.

Hermione hadn't actually thought about it. She reckoned she'd make the decision if it was actually happening. "I don't really know yet." She said with a slight cringe and a shrug.

The truth was that she hadn't really thought about her time in this era, other than destroying Voldemort and leaving the place if possible. It was all still very confusing to her. She wanted to change things, to save people. But at the same time, she couldn't help but think if the place wasn't actually an alternate timeline, and that her future would change because of her actions. And what if she was stuck in this time, in this supposedly different strand of time? What would she do for the rest of her life if she couldn't go back? Hermione knew she needed to make some plans, but she was reluctant to admit the possibility of losing what she had.

The twins eyed her silently, their expressions contemplative, before Fabian spoke. "Perhaps you'll join us in the DMLE," He said and smirked. "I mean, seriously, you have very much potential," He continued with an earnest smile.

"Well…I don't really know if I'll stay here, you know? …I mean, if there's a possibility for me to go back home, I will." she said quietly, looking at the brothers with uncertainty.

They smiled at her before glancing at each other with indecisive looks. When Molly and Arthur returned to the sitting room, they continued chatting about different matters until it was getting late.

"We should go, Hermione." Gideon said, standing up and stretching a bit.

Hermione couldn't help but give him a subtle once over as his well-built body was in full height. It wasn't that she fancied him or anything, but he _was_ a good looking wizard. Unfortunately, Fabian took note of her wandering eyes and when she glanced at him, he gave her a knowing smirk. Hermione groaned inwardly and went to grab her bag while Molly said goodbye to her brother. Hermione said her goodbyes to Molly and Arthur, thanking them again for inviting her to their home. They hugged her and told her that she was more than welcome to come again.

Fabian, who was going to stay at the Burrow, enveloped Hermione into a crushing hug. "Careful there, Hermione." He whispered and as they broke off, he gave her a wink. Hermione shook her head in frustration before following Gideon outside to the back yard.

"You know he's only messing with you, right?" Gideon asked, trying to suppress a smile as they walked away from the house.

Hermione huffed. "Yes, I know, thank you…I really don't understand how you endure him," She said jokingly. "And how can you two be so different?" She continued and gave him an incredulous look, while Gideon huffed a laugh.

As they walked, Hermione took in all the details of the Burrow yard and garden that she could see under the snow. Her heart ached as they moved away from the house she had once thought as her second home.

"We're not. I just have to give a good example for my students," He smirked and gave her a nudge.

Hermione laughed. "Perhaps…Or maybe you're just better restraining yourself…"

Gideon gave her a grin. "Possibly. I mean, Moody's always yelling at Fabian to restrain himself in our Occlumency training…" He said, shaking his head slightly.

"Occlumency training?" Hermione asked with a puzzled look and stopped in her tracks.

Gideon frowned. "Didn't I once tell you that it's part of the Auror program? Anyway, we were taught the skill in training, as well as Legilimency, and are expected to practice them continuously with our partners…And you know, Moody being Moody, he likes to attack into the minds of his Aurors when they least expect it," He said, lifting his brows in amusement.

 _Of course!_ How could she have forgotten that the Aurors trained Occlumency _and_ Legilimency? Hermione could only stare at him. Gideon was a couple of steps ahead of her and she was still rooted to her place.

"Hermione?" He asked hesitantly.

She blinked. "Sorry. I just…Could you, um…teach me?" She asked with a slight cringe and walked towards him.

His brows shot up. "Oh. I…I guess I assumed you knew Occlumency already." He said and eyed her with a perplexed look.

Hermione nodded. "I know a bit…But, unfortunately, that's not enough. So…I would need a Legilimens to, you know, train me properly. And, well, it just can't be anyone, as you very well know…And I don't really want to bother the Headmaster…" She said, worrying her lip.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, I can teach you," He said with a shrug. "Perhaps we could start when you return to school?" He asked and offered his arm for her to grasp in order to side-along-apparate them to Hogsmeade.

"That would be great!" She said and beamed at him as she took a hold on his arm.

Gideon smirked. "Don't thank me yet," he said and turned on the spot.

As they apparated into the village, Gideon escorted Hermione back to the pub and gave a nod to Ab who was working behind the counter. The pub was not full, but Aberforth was quite busy, so Hermione went straight upstairs after bidding Gideon goodnight.

* * *

 **December 30th, 1977 (Friday)**

Hermione met Sirius in a café in muggle London on Friday morning, as they had agreed when they had owled to each other earlier that week. She saw him standing next to the counter, eyeing the sandwiches and baked goods that were on display. Hermione approached him and cleared her throat awkwardly, and Sirius turned to look at her.

"Hi…" He said with a hint of hesitation, eyeing her features.

"Yeah…Hi." She replied awkwardly.

Sirius groaned and threaded a hand through his hair. "Fuck…This is awkward, isn't it?" He said with a wince.

Hermione grimaced. "Yeah, I suppose it is." She muttered, her eyes darting around the café.

He was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Look. Hermione. I don't want us to be uncomfortable around each other. If this is too much for you, just say so and we'll go different ways, okay?" He said, and continued, "That being said, I'd _really_ want us to be friends. I do enjoy your company, and I think we had some great conversations before I buggered everything up." He muttered, looking down.

Hermione eyed him during his speech and frowned. She didn't know what to think, or how to act around him. _He_ was the one who had dumped _her._ He claimed he did it to protect her, and she believed him. But now he wanted to spend time with her. To be her friend. Did that make any difference, if she still would be a part of his life? Did he think that them spending time together as friends wouldn't be as dangerous?

Regardless of her thoughts, Hermione knew that even though she had fallen for him quickly, they _were_ friends at first. Perhaps they could try to be that again?

Hermione sighed. "I know. And I want that too. I want us to be friends too." She said with small smile, glancing at his grey eyes with hesitation.

He let out a breath of relief. "Okay, great." He said sincerely. "Can I get you a coffee?"

"Sure." Hermione nodded. "By the way, about your Christmas present…" Hermione said, eyeing him unsurely.

Sirius grinned. "You mean the dusty old book? Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. Hermione gaped at him and was about to argue when Sirius interrupted.

"Really, don't. It's just something I knew my family had lying around in their library. I knew you would appreciate it more than they do, so I asked my uncle to pick it up for me…" He said and shrugged.

Hermione gave him a dumbfounded look. "Well…Thank you. I really appreciate it. I know how valuable it is." She said earnestly and worried her lip. "Although, I have to ask…Why? How? I mean, why would your family have a book from…you know…a Muggle writer?" She asked tentatively.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Oh, kitten… _Finally_ I know something you don't…" He said with a bright grin. "That Shakespeare bloke was a wizard," He continued matter-of-factly. "I mean, why else would he have written about witches, ghosts and fairies?" He said as he sniggered.

Hermione was speechless. Her favourite author…was a wizard. That was something she had to chew on.

* * *

"So, what do you think of this one?" Sirius asked as he walked towards Hermione across the reception room hardwood floor of a three-bedroom period house.

Hermione was shaken from her musings when Sirius spoke to her. She had been staring at nothingness through the large windows in the five-floor home, situated on the outskirts of Regent's Park. The two other places they had seen had been much the same; well-located buildings from historical periods, very well presented and very much out of her affordability. Hermione didn't even want to think of how much Sirius's uncle had left him gold, if he was able to buy himself a house from one of the most expensive areas in London.

Things had been a bit awkward between them at first, but after their conversation at the café, the atmosphere had lightened up quite a bit. It almost felt like old times, when she had started the term, and before they had started dating. Their conversation flowed, and his jokes made her laugh again. And she could clearly see he tried to be her friend, and if nothing else, she knew she wanted that too. But there was something that was nagging at her in her head. Something she ought to tell him. She knew exactly what it was.

"The kitchen has been renovated recently, and the patio area was redecorated as well," Steven, the realtor said as he gestured to the terrace that opened from the reception room.

Sirius nodded to Steven and gave a nudge to Hermione as he came to stand next to her. "Hmm?" He hummed to her questioningly.

"I don't know..." Hermione said and shrugged. "It might be a bit too much if I you ask me, but whatever suits you," Hermione said and gave Sirius a small smile. The house was clearly too big for just one person, but since he obviously had the money, and probably was used to spacious homes, why not, Hermione thought.

They walked upstairs from the reception room, and after a quick glance to the other rooms on each floor, as well as the kitchen and utility rooms in the basement, they stepped into the terrace on the ground floor. Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh, I take it back. It's not too much at all." She said wryly, as she saw a small swimming pool attached to the terrace, where a line of white cedar trees brought cover over it. Not that anyone passing the house could see into the yard, since there was over a three meter high brick wall surrounding the garden and terrace. Sirius laughed before she continued, "Perfect for sunbathing or perhaps a pool party isn't it?" Hermione said mockingly as they walked past the pool to look around the garden on the back.

Sirius smirked. "As long as you are the one to sunbathe in here…" he muttered quietly, giving Hermione a playful look. She slapped his arm and he burst into laughter.

"Prat." She said and tried to glare at him but finally joined his laughter.

Steven smiled at their banter. "How long have you two been together?"

Humour died in quickly and Hermione became tense. "No, um. We're just friends." She said politely, and walked back to the terrace and slipped inside the house to wait for the men in the hall.

A while later Sirius and Steven were walking through the reception room towards the entrance hall and Hermione could hear them talking.

"So…what do you think of the place?" Steven asked.

Sirius was silent for a moment before he said anything. "I'll take it."

Hermione looked up as they turned the corner to her vision. "Are you sure you don't want to see other places?" Hermione asked from Sirius with a sceptical look.

He shook his head. "Nah. You know me…don't really have the patience to ponder over things…" He said and gave her a wink.

Hermione shook her head in amusement. "Yes, I know…"

After dealing with the payment and the papers with Steven, the realtor handed Sirius keys to his new home and left Hermione and Sirius standing dumbfounded in the middle of the empty apartment.

"I reckon this calls for a celebration. You in?" He grinned at her.

"Um...no. I should go." Hermione said uncomfortably and looked away from him.

Sirius sighed exasperatedly. "I thought we were doing okay? Was it something I said?" He asked in confusion.

Hermione turned to look at him and tried to think how to say what she had to. She took a shuddering breath before she spoke. "I…I kissed Regulus." She whispered and stared at him anxiously, waiting for his reaction. She didn't dare to breathe.

"W-What?" He stammered, as his eyes widening in shock.

Hermione swallowed hard and eyed him guiltily. "It just...happened. It was after the Quidditch party, the other week." She muttered quickly. "I didn't mean to do it, I swear. And I'm sorry Sirius. I wanted you to hear it from me..." Hermione said, her voice wavering as she regarded him sadly.

Sirius merely stared her with a blank look in his eyes. Why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he lash out to her?

"I um…I should go now." She whispered when he barely blinked. His eyes dropped to her wrist, where the emerald bracelet she had received as a Christmas gift rested, and his eyes widened slightly in recognition.

 _Merlin…_ She thought weakly as her stomach twisted with shame, trying to figure out what was going on in his head as she eyed him searchingly.

"Yeah. You should go." He said back with a cold voice. His eyes flashed with confusion and hurt before an indifferent mask slipped back onto his face.

* * *

 **December 31st, 1977 (Saturday, New Year's party at Potter Manor)**

The Potters were celebrating the coming year with a yearly New Year's party in their Manor. The guest list was quite massive, and this year James had asked all of his friends to join as well. Previously only James's best mates had been invited to the Potters' gatherings, and the boys had formed a bit of a habit nicking a bottle or two of Ogden's finest and secluding themselves into James's room for the night.

Now, as James's girlfriend and her friends were coming as well, the plan was to enjoy the party with the rest of the guests, and possibly have an after party in his room.

"What's bothering you mate?" James asked as the boys lounged in James's room, waiting for the party to start. Sirius had already started the celebrations with several heavy gulps of Firewhiskey from a bottle he had grabbed from the kitchen earlier. Even without his drinking, the others could see something was not right with their raven-haired friend.

Sirius gave an indifferent shrug. "Nothing much. Just looking forward to the night. And, you know, to end the year with _a bang,"_ He said and gave James a knowing smirk. Remus rolled his eyes and focused on his book while Peter sniggered next to him.

James chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "You better hope this time your date doesn't have a boyfriend. Or at least that he's not attending the same party," James said pointedly.

Sirius scoffed. "She wasn't my date. We only got acquainted in the cloak room," He said with a sly look and then merely waved his hand. "And whatever. I could've taken him if you guys hadn't interrupted."

James and Peter both snorted. Sirius was talking about the previous party in the Potter Manor, last summer, when he had disappeared into the cloak room with some girl a couple of years older than them, and later on ended up in an argument with said girl's boyfriend in the backyard. James and Remus had come to interrupt their quarrel before the situation had gotten out of hand.

"So…you're back in the game, huh?" Remus asked as he eyed his friend closely over his book.

Sirius arched a brow. "Something like that," he grumbled and took another swig from his bottle.

* * *

Hermione and Lily met after lunch on Saturday, as the redhead had come to the Hog's Head to get ready for the party with Hermione. Lily had spent her holidays at the Potters since her sister, Petunia, had wanted to spend her Christmas with her fiancé's family and Lily's parents were travelling abroad. Her parents had originally suggested that Lily could come with them, but because Lily too wanted to spend some time with her boyfriend, she had proposed that her parents could go on the trip by themselves for a romantic getaway or so, and she could stay in the Potter Manor, as James had already asked Lily to stay at his place. They all seemed to be quite happy with the arrangement, although Hermione couldn't understand why they hadn't wanted to spend the Holiday as a family.

On their last day of school, and before stepping on the train with James and the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, Lily had insisted to Hermione that neither she nor James were ready to sleep in the same bed yet, and that she would be sleeping in the guest bedroom during her stay. Hermione had been a bit doubtful that James felt that way too, but she hadn't said anything to her friend.

The girls giggled together as they talked about boys while getting ready, and soon it was time to apparate to the Potter Manor.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Hermione said as they walked towards the Manor, over the massive front yard, which was lighted with hundreds of candles.

"Tell me about it…" Lily muttered, a slightly overwhelmed look in her eyes even though she had spent over a week there already.

As they walked inside through the great front doors, James and his parents were waiting for the guests in the hall. His parents enveloped Lily into a warm hug, and James gave his girlfriend a quick kiss and as he squeezed her close to him, the Potters welcomed Hermione into their home.

"How wonderful to meet you, Miss Dumbledore. We've heard so much about you," Mrs. Potter said with a smile. The woman eyed her with a calculating look, and Hermione couldn't help but wonder that perhaps they had heard Sirius talk about her. She could only hope that he hadn't said anything awful.

"Nothing bad I hope?" She said with a nervous laugh. "Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Potter. Mr. Potter." She said, shaking their outstretched hands.

James's father chuckled. "The pleasure is all ours. We're glad to have so many James's friends with us to celebrate. And you may call us Fleamont and Euphemia." He said and winked. Hermione smiled and nodded before she followed Lily further to the spacious home.

They joined Remus, Peter, Mary, Alice and Frank at a table in the corner, and talked about their holidays as they sipped their drinks and waited for the party to start. A while later James emerged, loosening his collar a bit and huffing in exasperation.

"Hate the formalities…" He muttered before bending to give Lily a kiss. "Have you guys eaten already?" When all of them shook their heads, he nudged his head towards the buffet and they followed him.

After eating, some dancing and drinking, Hermione found herself standing at the edge of the dance floor, close to the wall. She sipped her drink as she watched her friends dancing with an amused expression on her face.

Suddenly she saw Sirius approaching her with a cold look in his eyes and she felt herself tense as he came closer. He hadn't made an appearance the whole night, and they all had wondered where he had been. Hermione opened her mouth to speak to him but didn't have the chance before he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the empty terrace, away from the party and prying eyes.

"Sirius, what are you –"

Sirius rounded on her as soon as the door clicked shut behind them. "Didn't get your fill from one Black, did you? Who's next? Huh? The Prewetts? Should I go and warn them?" He snarled venomously, his fingers still curled over her arm with a tight grip.

Hermione blanched at his tone. She could see that he wasn't sober, but neither was she for that matter. "Let go of me, Sirius." Hermione hissed warningly and tried to tug her arm away.

"What the fuck is _this_ , Hermione?" He hissed angrily, lifting her hand up and revealing the bracelet. Hermione frowned and was about to answer when the door to the terrace opened.

"Mate, what's going on?" James asked concernedly, as he and Lily walked into the terrace, the sounds of the party momentarily filling the quietness outside before the door closed again.

Lily eyed at the pair with an alarmed look in her eyes. "Hermione?" She asked carefully.

"Nothing's going on, let's just go inside to enjoy the party, okay?" Hermione snapped and yanked her arm back from Sirius's grip.

"Oh, nothing, you say?" Sirius growled angrily. "You snog my brother and that's nothing?!" He shouted and stared disbelievingly at her.

Lily let out a quiet gasp, while James gaped at Sirius and Hermione.

Hermione felt her face flush with embarrassment and she gritted her teeth. "Like I said, it just happened, it's not like either one of us planned to do it. And I said I'm sorry. I really am." She said apologetically to Sirius, looking into his eyes earnestly.

He sent a glare at her. "I fucking knew he had a thing for you!" He shouted and shoved both of his hands through his hair with a resentful look in his eyes. He turned to her again. "How could you do this to me, Hermione? My brother?" He shouted to her, an incredulous expression on his face. Hermione looked away shamefully and tried to blink away the tears that were on their way. "After everything between us?" He continued bitterly.

Hermione felt annoyance rise inside her. "Between us?" She said in disbelief. "You made sure there's nothing between us anymore," she hissed, her voice faltering as tears ran from the corners of her eyes.

Sirius huffed. "You know why I did it. But what I didn't expect, was that you would jump into bed with my brother the minute we break up," he snarled and Hermione looked at him in shock.

"He's my fucking brother, Hermione!" He shouted. Hermione trembled and looked at the ground, crying silently.

"Pads. I think that's enough, mate…Come on, let's go inside," James said warningly, with an anxious expression in his eyes as he waited for Sirius to follow him inside.

Lily watched the whole encounter with her mouth open in shock and a scowl trained at Sirius, but remembered her friend finally. "Hermione, come here," she whispered and approached her friend with concern and sympathy in her eyes, holding her hand to her.

"No," Hermione said, took a step back and stared at James and Lily with an expressionless face. "I should leave. James, please tell your parents I'm sorry I had to leave without notice. They're really lovely people, and it was wonderful to meet them." She said with her voice a bit too airy.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for coming," James muttered awkwardly. Hermione turned to leave towards the apparition point and Lily followed her, taking her hand.

"Hermione you don't have to go." Lily whispered.

"Yes, I do. I don't want to cause any more trouble. It was foolish of me to come here in the first place," she muttered. "It was good to see you though, Lils." Hermione said and hugged her friend. "We'll see each other in school, okay?" She said with a forced smile.

Lily frowned at her and bit her lip. "Are you going to be okay, Hermione?"

Hermione tried to nod reassuringly, "Yeah. I have to go."

"Just...write to me before the schools starts. In case you need to talk about anything." Lily said sympathetically.

"Okay." Hermione gave her friend a curd nod, turned on the spot and apparated straight into her room, on the third floor of the Hog's Head.

Lily turned back to the terrace where James and Sirius were standing, James waiting for her and Sirius sulking.

"You foul git," Lily hissed at Sirius as she briskly approached him, and slapped him on the cheek when she was close enough. Sirius's head turned on the impact and a red handprint formed onto his cheek for evidence.

Just then, Remus and Mary came into the terrace, laughing with each other and holding hands. As they saw their friends' grim looks and felt the cold atmosphere, they quickly sobered. Remus's eyes travelled from Lily, who seemed to shake from rage, to James who was looking at Sirius with a dumbfounded expression. Sirius on the other hand stared down with a resentful look in his eyes while his cheek was glowing red.

"What is going on, Prongs?" Remus asked slowly, as he frowned at the scene.

Sirius spoke before James had the chance to open his mouth. "You know, just the basic New Year's drama, nothing else..." He grunted. A moment later he turned away and walked towards the apparition point and turned on the spot.


	21. The Ring

**Chapter 21: The Ring**

 **January 1st 1978 (Sunday)**

It was the first day of the New Year as she woke up bleary-eyed, after a night of tossing and turning. Hermione could only hope that this year would be better than the previous one. Last year, she had suffered a torture, lost the life and people she knew and loved, had her heart broken, and developed some confusing feelings towards her ex's brother. That being said, she had also formed new friendships and alliances, and might have already saved some lives with her information regarding the future.

The year had still ended with a bad tone, with Sirius enraged towards her. She knew she was partly to blame; it was his _brother_ after all. Still, a small part of her thought that he didn't have the right to say who she was allowed to kiss, because he was the one who had left her, and they weren't together anymore. It was all a big mess, and she was sure that she hadn't heard the last of it yet.

Hermione wished she would have been home. She wished she would have been with Harry and Ron, who would have known what to say to her, how to make her feel better. They would have known to focus on what mattered – they knew what was important. She wished she didn't feel as lonely as she now felt.

She couldn't help but worry over the possibility that she truly was stuck in this possibly different timeline. Would Harry and Ron, her parents and loved ones continue their lives without her? Would they even have lives to continue? She felt nauseated every time she thought about the circumstances where she left them; The Malfoy Manor, Harry and Ron in the basement as prisoners. Her parents in Australia with their memories wiped. She missed them badly.

Sighing, she stood up from her bed and went downstairs to have breakfast with Ab.

The previous night, when Hermione had apparated straight into her bedroom, Aberforth had come knocking on her door a moment later.

 _"Hermione? Is everything all right?" He grunted from the hallway._

 _Hermione tried to calm down before she answered. "Yes, Ab, everything's fine." She said with an even voice._

 _"Okay…I'll be downstairs then." He said, but Hermione could hear the hesitation in his voice. "Hermione?" He muttered quietly._

 _"Yes?" She whispered._

 _"If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you." He said before he started to descend the stairs._

They hadn't talked after that, and as Hermione entered the kitchen, Ab eyed her for a moment from behind his teacup.

"You alright?" He asked before taking a sip of tea.

Hermione smiled at him weakly. "Um…yes, I suppose. I just had an argument with Sirius at the party, so I decided to leave early…" She muttered and turned away from him to make herself tea and a sandwich.

"Mm-hmm." Ab voiced, staring at her quietly. As Hermione sat down on a chair opposite to him, he pushed a parchment in front of her.

"From my brother." He grunted, looking annoyed.

Hermione lifted her brows in surprise. "Oh?"

"He wants to go into some treasure hunt with you." He grumbled. "Asked my permission, as your guardian, if you could visit him in the castle tomorrow and plan a trip, which would take place later next week."

 _The first Horcrux!_ Hermione thought with excitement and anxiety.

"Yeah. I should go then. If…that's okay?" She said carefully.

Aberforth barked a laugh. "I think you're old enough to decide for yourself, Hermione." He said. "Although, I do hope you look out for yourself…I mean it. I know my brother. He won't hesitate to sacrifice people when he's pursuing the greater good." He said with a dark look.

Hermione frowned at him. "Ab…please don't." She said weakly. She really didn't want to delve into Aberforth's animosity towards his brother at the moment. "I'll be fine. McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian will be there too. It's not like I have to do anything by myself." She said reassuringly and gave him a small smile.

Aberforth grumbled something incoherent as a response.

* * *

After breakfast, Hermione owled a reply to Dumbledore, and told him that she would meet him in the castle the next day after lunch, as he had requested. After her morning routine, another owl was waiting for her, tapping its beak on her closed window.

Hermione opened the window and a sleek black owl, which Hermione recognised as James's familiar, flew on the top of her writing desk with a parchment tied to its leg. Hermione took the letter warily off from the owl's outstretched leg and gave the animal a treat. It stayed put, and Hermione reckoned it was waiting for her to send a reply to the letter in question, so she slumped into her chair and began to read.

It was from Lily. Hermione let out a small sigh of relief. For a moment, she had thought it had been from James or Sirius, and hadn't really even wanted to open it, as she thought that neither of the boys had anything nice to say to her. _James obviously would take his best friend's side_ , Hermione thought bitterly.

 _Dear Mione,_

 _I hope everything is okay and you got home safely last night. About last night…what a drama!_

 _I'm sure you know this already, but Sirius acted like a spoiled little (drunken) brat. And I'm not going to make him any excuses, as he didn't have the right to yell at you like that, in the middle of a party for that matter. But I have to ask…Has he contacted you? Tried to apologise?_

 _We haven't seen him since he took off right after you left, and James (and his parents) are a bit worried about him. If you know anything, please tell us, as we have no way to contact him._

 _Okay, enough about him._

 _Why in the name of Merlin didn't you tell me about your rendezvous with Regulus? How did that even happen? I am a bit curious about your…friendship. He seems so withdrawn and aloof…Although, I have to admit that there is a certain…appeal in the whole dark and brooding demeanour… Don't get me wrong, I love James (oh Godric! Did I just write that?!), even though he is probably the complete opposite._

 _Anyway…Do you have any plans for the upcoming week? Would it be okay for me to drop by some time? …And perhaps spend the night at your place? I'd love to see you, and I hope you'll be able to meet me!_

 _Your friend,_

 _Lily_

Hermione smiled and began to write back her reply. It would be great to see Lily, but the visit couldn't interfere with her upcoming mission.

 _Dear Lily,_

 _Unfortunately, I haven't received any note from Sirius or seen him since yesterday._

 _…I really do not wish to write about the incident, I'm sure you understand. But it would be great if you could come to stay with me for a night! I have to ask from dad though, so if it is okay, I'll get back to you tomorrow?_

 _Hermione_

After sending her reply with James's owl and closing the window after it took away, Hermione slumped back into the chair and frowned at the table. _Where on earth had Sirius run to?_

* * *

 **January 2nd 1978 (Monday)**

The next day Hermione was so excited she could barely eat her lunch. Ab tried to hide his smirk as he watched her fidgety exterior. She had stayed up late last night, thinking over their upcoming trip. Originally, they had agreed that Dumbledore would acquire the ring by himself from the Gaunt shack and that they would destroy it together after mastering the Fiendfyre curse. Apparently, they were now all joining the Headmaster on his trip to Little Hangleton. Hermione was glad to go, as there wasn't that much she could do with destroying the object, since she hadn't still managed to extinguish the cursed flames perfectly.

"Well, go on already!" Ab grunted and started to clean their plates away.

Hermione jumped up from her seat, remembering her manners and thanked him for the food before she dashed into her room to get her essential belongings – which was the beaded bag. She walked briskly towards the school, not really paying attention to her surroundings, only just so that she didn't trip on her own feet.

Finally, they were going to do something concrete to destroy the Horcruxes. After months of researching, training the Fiendfyre and waiting, they would finally go to acquire and destroy the first item.

As Hermione arrived at the Headmaster's office, the others were already seated in front of Dumbledore's desk. The Headmaster greeted her warmly before gesturing for her to sit down beside McGonagall, into an empty armchair. Hermione sat down after greeting the others.

"So." Dumbledore said as he drew himself up in his seat. The others eyed the Headmaster expectantly, waiting for him to speak. "Thank you all for joining me during the holiday time, and for Fabian making his schedule free. I trust Alastor doesn't grant days off without difficulty?" He said, turning to Fabian who smirked back at the Headmaster.

"Well, usually not, but I might've told him you requested me for the week, so I wouldn't hold it impossible that he'll interrogate you later on." He said cheekily. Gideon shook his head in amusement while McGonagall seemed to suppress the urge to roll her eyes.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Very well," He said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Now, to the topic why we all are here today." He said with his expression becoming more serious as he drew the tips of his fingers together.

"We have now reached a point where we can indeed face and destroy a Horcrux, as every one of us can sufficiently cast, maintain and extinguish the cursed flames. That gives us an advantage, if for some reason the caster of the curse cannot extinguish the flames when necessary." Dumbledore said and the others nodded in agreement.

"Based on Hermione's information and my research, I have located the ring and can verify that it is placed in a deserted house, protected by spells and curses uncomplicated enough for the five of us to handle." Dumbledore explained while the others listened carefully.

"Is it in the Gaunt home?" McGonagall asked, confirming the information they already suspected. Dumbledore nodded.

"How is it protected?" Hermione asked with a frown. "Other than the curse in the ring itself?"

Dumbledore smiled. "It seems to me that Voldemort was somewhat…arrogant, and has underestimated others. From what I have gathered, he has only placed fairly simple shield charms, banishing spells and a notice-me-not spell to the house, as he probably trusts that no one could stumble upon his parentage and the Horcruxes."

The others lifted their brows but Hermione huffed. "That sounds accurate." She muttered. "But how do we bring the ring with us if we cannot touch it? How do we know whether the curse is effective through fabric as well?" She asked.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Always the practical approach. But if it is acceptable, I would like to make my proposal how we proceed from here, and all of you can make suggestions and remarks afterwards?" The others nodded, and Hermione felt a bit embarrassed interrupting the Headmaster.

"As I said, it seems that the shack is protected by simple protection spells and curses, which we are able to specify and dismantle on the spot. I propose that we meet in the Hog's Head before sunrise on Wednesday, the day after tomorrow. From there we disillusion ourselves and apparate to Little Hangleton and work on the protections placed on the shack. As for the ring – I have a magical container in my possession where we can place the ring, without touching it. Although I believe that the curse is only active when a person wears the ring, since Voldemort wouldn't take any chances of harming himself with the curse. Nevertheless, we ought to be careful this time." He said with a hint of a smile to Hermione.

"When the ring is secured, we shall apparate to Letterfearn and enter the cave again, this time with the intention of destroying the ring." He said matter-of-factly, smiling at the others as if he had just explained a simple first year spell to them.

"What if we are seen? Do we engage into a fight or merely disapparate?" Gideon asked with a frown. Even though the plan sounded fairly simple, there was always the possibility for something to go wrong.

"If someone is guarding the Horcrux or we are spotted, I think the only option is to capture the guards if possible, and modify their memories. If Voldemort finds out someone has been there, he will also know someone is after his Horcruxes." Dumbledore said seriously. Gideon nodded.

"Do you have _the_ _cloak_ in your possession?" Dumbledore asked from Hermione after a moment of silence.

"What?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening a bit.

"James Potter's Invisibility Cloak. I believe his son would have inherited it." Dumbledore said plainly.

 _Of course he would know about James's cloak…_

Hermione's brows lifted. "Oh…How would you know if I had it, though?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes to the Headmaster. "Excuse me for interrupting, but…Potter has an Invisibility Cloak? And Hermione here has another one?" She asked sharply, glancing at Hermione. Gideon and Fabian smirked at each other.

Dumbledore merely smiled and nodded to McGonagall, who huffed in annoyance, before he turned to Hermione. "I didn't, actually. I merely hoped it would be in your possession, as you were on the run with James's son before you came here." He explained and Hermione nodded in understanding. The others eyed their conversation with interest.

"Well, yes, I have it. I mean, James Potter has his own cloak, but I have the one that was passed on to Harry. Why do you ask though?" Hermione said hesitantly.

"Because it is unique. It is able to completely shield the wearer from sight. It cannot be worn out by time or spells, or be summoned by magic. That might give us a small advantage, _if_ there would be someone to guard the Horcrux." Dumbledore explained carefully.

"But it's suitable for only one person, maybe two…" Hermione said with a frown.

"Then, if everyone agrees, I could approach the shack under the Invisibility Cloak while the rest of you stay within a short distance and wait for my signal," Dumbledore said, looking at the others expectantly. The others murmured their agreements.

"Do you have any questions about our mission?" Dumbledore asked while eyeing the others kindly.

As the others merely shook their heads, Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Splendid!" He said enthusiastically. "Then we shall meet the day after tomorrow, before sunrise." He said with finality and stood up. The twins and Hermione exited his office while McGonagall stayed behind to handle some other business with the Headmaster.

They walked back to the village in silence, from where Gideon and Fabian were to disapparate into their respective homes.

"Nervous, little Dumbledore?" Fabian asked her with a nudge to her side.

She jumped as she was shaken back from her thoughts. "No." She said quickly. … _How reassuring._

The twins eyed her warily but said nothing. As they reached the apparition point, Fabian turned on the spot after pulling Hermione into a crushing hug.

Gideon gazed at her with a deep frown between his brows. "Hermione…Are you ready for this?" He asked with uncertainty.

"Yes," Hermione replied, slightly affronted. "I've faced worse, trust me. Things you couldn't even imagine." She said dryly.

Gideon smiled and lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, I apologise. Just wanted to make sure you'll be good to go on Wednesday." He said, threading a hand through his hair. "I know I'm nervous."

"Oh." Hermione said, surprised. "Why? I thought you were an Auror? Aren't you used to this kind of…stuff?" She asked hesitantly.

Gideon smirked. "Yeah, guess so. Although not exactly this kind of stuff but…" He said and sighed. "I dunno. I think it's good to be a bit nervous, you know…Makes you more alert or something." He shrugged.

"Yes, I know. Constant vigilance…" She muttered, rolling her eyes.

Gideon's eyes widened. "How do you…You know – ?" He laughed and shook his head while Hermione grinned at him. "Of course you'd know Moody…" he said finally, between chuckles.

Hermione nodded and laughed with him. As they parted their ways, Hermione went to the pub to inform Ab about the upcoming trip. She gave him only a small amount of the details regarding the actual Horcrux, as he maintained that the less he knew about it, the better.

After their discussion regarding her trip, Hermione remembered to ask about Lily's visit. Ab agreed, and Hermione went to her room to owl her friend. She suggested that their sleepover could take place from Thursday to Friday, so that they both would have Saturday to get ready for the spring term. The Hogwarts train would take the students back to Hogwarts on Sunday, and even though Hermione was going to walk back to the school for the start of term feast, Lily was expected to be on the train, as she was a Head student. Their classes were starting again on Monday morning.

Lily had sent her reply shortly after, confirming her arrival next Thursday. Hermione smiled and went to help Ab in the pub downstairs.

* * *

 **January 4th 1978 (Wednesday)**

It was still dark as the group disapparated out of Hogsmeade, disillusioned, so that no one could see them leave. They apparated into the outskirts of a small village in Yorkshire called Little Hangleton. The Gaunt shack was situated just outside the village, on the other side where they were. They had decided to apparate a safe distance away and to walk the rest of the way, just in case there were anti-apparition wards or caterwauling charms placed near the shack or the village to alert Voldemort when intruders were approaching the shack.

The sun was slowly rising as they neared the shack. Dumbledore instructed the others to stay put while he approached the place under the invisibility cloak. Hermione eyed her surroundings nervously, with constant vigilance, as did the others. She could see the house behind a patch of dark trees. It seemed a very strange location to choose for a home, in the middle of several thick trees that blocked all the light and the view of the valley below. The walls of the house were stained, and so many tiles had fallen off the roof that Hermione doubted it would hold rain. Long hay grew around the place, covering the lands.

It was a while later when they saw Dumbledore's hand giving a subtle wave near the doorway of the shack, to signal them it was safe to approach. After dismantling the wards and making sure the inside of the house was clear from spells, they stepped into the decaying and filthy place. Hermione and the others took in her surroundings. The house seemed to contain three tiny rooms; a sitting room with a small kitchen nook, and two small bedrooms. There was a broken couch and a table near the crumbling fireplace. In the other bedroom they saw two overturned cots, and nothing else but cobwebs, grime and dirt.

The other room had one small bed and a dusty trunk at the end of the bed. There was also miscellaneous garbage here and there on the floors. Hermione and the twins searched the room with the two cot beds, rifling through the trash on the floor with the help of their wands while Dumbledore and McGonagall searched the other room.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke quietly. "It's in here." Hermione, Gideon and Fabian made their way quickly to the other room after covering their tracks, just in case. Dumbledore was levitating the ring into the container – a small box which was thrumming with magic. For a moment, Hermione saw a small hesitation in the Headmaster's eyes as he guided the ring into the box. When the ring was securely put inside the box, they wiped their tracks and Dumbledore put the same protection spells and curses that had surrounded the shack before they exited the place.

The group walked in silence, disillusioned again, towards their apparition point. Their walk was taking more time as they had to dodge the villagers, who were now bustling through the streets. As they reached their apparition point, one by one they apparated into the familiar surroundings of Letterfearn, near the cave. The cave was warded with strong enchantments, so there was no way to apparate straight inside. It was a short walk and then they were inside. Everyone was eyeing the Headmaster expectantly.

Dumbledore frowned as he opened the box. He was looking at the ring as if he had recognised something.

"Can I see it?" Hermione asked hesitantly, feeling a bit of wariness as she glanced at the Headmaster.

He nodded and levitated the box into a small stone table he had conjured in the middle of the cave. Hermione approached the ring, eyeing it suspiciously. It was a gold ring inset with a black stone, which was engraved with a symbol. Hermione frowned at it. It was as if she had seen it somewhere. _But where?_ Dumbledore made a sudden move towards the ring. Time seemed to go slower. She glanced at the Headmaster again, and his expression was calculating…and frightened. He was eyeing Hermione and the others carefully, and she could see his eyes flash with dread. It seemed that he was unable to decide what to do.

And then Hermione understood. An argument with Harry suddenly came crashing into her mind.

 _"The ring, the ring that became the Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt said it had the Peverell coat of arms on it! I saw him waving it in the bloke from the Ministry's face, he nearly shoved it up his nose!" Harry said excitedly._

 _"The Peverell coat of arms?" Hermione asked sharply. "Could you see what it looked like?"_

 _"Not really," said Harry, trying to remember. "There was nothing fancy on there, as far as I could see; maybe a few scratches. I only ever saw it really close up after it had been cracked open."_

 _Ron stared between Hermione and Harry with an astonished look in his eyes. "Blimey…You reckon it was this sign again? The sign of the Hallows?"_

 _"Why not," Harry said quickly, "Marvolo Gaunt was an ignorant old git who lived like a pig, all he cared about was his ancestry. If that ring had been passed down through the centuries, he might not have known what it really was. There were no books in that house, and trust me, he wasn't the type to read fairy tales to his kids. He'd have loved to think the scratches on the stone were a coat of arms, because as far as he was concerned, having pure blood made you practically royal."_

She remembered how Harry had been somewhat obsessed with the Deathly Hallows, so certain that the stone in the Horcrux ring had been the Resurrection stone, and how he was so sure that the Invisibility cloak he had inherited, was actually _the cloak of Invisibility,_ one of the Deathly Hallows _._ She also remembered how Harry was sure that Voldemort had been after the elder wand, and that he was searching for it abroad. She hadn't believed they were true. Sure, the elder wand perhaps, and the cloak…but the stone? It was real? That just seemed so hard to believe.

But seeing Dumbledore now seemed to confirm Harry's assumptions. Did they really have the Resurrection stone within their reach? Did they actually possess two of the Deathly Hallows since she had Harry's Cloak? Hermione knew that according to the tale, the one who had all three legendary Hallows in possession was the Master of Death. But what did that mean? An Immortality? It sure would be useful when facing Voldemort, but that meant that they couldn't destroy the ring. And she knew they had to destroy it. Otherwise they wouldn't really destroy Voldemort.

"Uncle…" She whispered. "I know what the stone is." She said intently, staring straight into his blue eyes that had lost their twinkle. McGonagall and the twins eyed them cautiously, not understanding what she was talking about. Dumbledore watched Hermione with an obscure expression.

"It won't do any good." Hermione continued steadily. "It won't bring her back. Not really. You know it." She whispered with a hard voice, shaking her head slightly. Dumbledore merely stared at her, his eyes reflecting fear and sadness.

"Albus." She said, her voice louder. "We _have_ to destroy it. Otherwise _he_ will live. Please," She said with a pleading tone. Dumbledore averted his eyes and watched the ring intently.

"Albus?" McGonagall asked hesitantly. Gideon and Fabian stared at Hermione in bewilderment, trying to understand what it all was about.

"The ring needs to be destroyed. Or _he_ will win." Hermione said to Dumbledore again, who was still watching the ring. Finally, after a long moment, he seemed to make up his mind and turned to look at Hermione with regret.

"I know. I apologise." Dumbledore said with a sigh. Hermione went to him and gave him a hug.

Dumbledore was surprised by the gesture, as was everyone else. McGonagall eyed at the pair with a fond look as Dumbledore patted Hermione on the back and blinked away the tears that had gathered into his blue eyes.

"Again, you have accomplished to astonish me with your strength and compassion, my dear niece," Dumbledore whispered into her ear. "I will try to follow your example whenever I feel irresolute." He said before she released him and took a step back.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke to him. "Thank you. I know how difficult it must be to do this." She said, while McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian eyed them curiously.

Hermione knew it must've been difficult for Dumbledore to destroy the one object he could have used to bring back his sister Ariana, and one of the objects that could give him immortality. She suspected that the Headmaster missed his sister badly, and even held himself responsible of her death, just like his brother did. If only the stone could bring back _her_ loved ones, Hermione thought bitterly. But the stone didn't bring anyone back, really, did it?

Dumbledore nodded and looked at the ring with determination, lifting his wand. The others took a couple of steps back, their wands at the ready. Then Dumbledore cast the curse. A fiery phoenix erupted from the tip of his wand, circling around the cave aggressively. The fiery animal took a sharp turn and lunged towards them.

And then everything went dark.

* * *

 **A/N: DUN DUN DUUUNN!**


	22. Back to School

**A/N:** So...the last time I left you hanging! Now you shall know what happened.

Btw, I know that Snape's birthday is not in July, but for my story it has to be :)

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Back to School**

 **January 5th 1978 (Thursday)**

Hermione woke up, blinking at the bright light that was glimmering from the window. She was lying in her bed, under covers, and the sun was rising. _The last she remembered was the cave, and Dumbledore casting the Fiendfyre curse…What had happened?_

She frowned and pushed up into a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain on her ribs. She stood up from the bed slowly, surveying her injuries at the same time. Aside the small migraine, it seemed that her ribcage was the only sore spot in her body.

There was a knock in her door.

"Come in," Hermione said quietly, after making sure she was decent. She was still wearing the same clothes she'd put on in the morning before leaving towards Little Hangleton.

Aberforth walked in, eyeing her with a scrutinising look. "You okay kid?" He asked, before taking a seat on the chair next to her desk.

Hermione frowned as she perched on the edge of her bed. "Yeah, I guess so…What happened? Is it morning? What…what day is it?" She asked, confusion evident in her voice.

Ab gritted his teeth, which made her even more puzzled. "It is Thursday morning. And I knew this would be too dangerous for you," He grunted, looking angry.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quickly, taken aback. Had she lost consciousness? Had something severe happened? She racked her brain, trying to remember.

"You were knocked down because some fiery beast my brother conjured tried to swallow you!" He exclaimed angrily.

Hermione stifled a shocked gasp. "What happened? Did we succeed?" Hermione asked urgently.

"Is that all you care about?" He said with a frustrated sigh. "Yes, the thing was destroyed. Your defence professor was able to put an end to it." He grumbled, and he could hear her heave a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry Ab. But this _is_ important. You must understand that." Hermione muttered carefully, while studying his expression.

Aberforth narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that so? Are you willing to risk your own life for the _greater good_ , Hermione?" He said with an aversion to the wording.

She was quiet for a moment.

"Yes, I am." She whispered, looking down. She was damned if she didn't at least try to destroy Voldemort and save the lives and people that had grown dear to her.

* * *

"Mione!" Lily shouted with a bright grin from the other side of the main road of the Hogsmeade village.

The redhead had just stepped out from the Honeydukes shop as she spotted Hermione walking towards her. The girls had agreed to meet in the village around lunch time on Thursday, and then have lunch and visit the shops before retreating to Hermione's quarters in the Hog's Head pub.

"Lils!" Hermione replied and ran up to her friend. They hugged each other tightly, giggling as if they hadn't seen each other in a very long time.

"How are things?" Hermione asked, grinning as they walked down the main road, towards the Three Broomsticks. Hermione knew Lily had stayed at the Potters during her holidays until now, and would go back to her home the next day.

Lily beamed at her friend. "Well, aside from the awful incident at the New Year's party, everything is really good," She said, with a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "So good, that I'm actually a bit depressed to go back home…" She said and cringed slightly.

"Oh? Do tell?" Hermione said with a tight smile, shrugging away the despicable sting she felt at the mention of the party.

"Well, it's just…Everything is going so well with James, and his parents really like me, and I like them," She prattled cheerfully, but Hermione felt she had left something out as her friend's blush deepened.

They reached the pub counter and placed their orders before continuing their chat at a table in the corner.

"And?" Hermione pressed on as they sat down.

Lily buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Godric…It's just that we…you know…" She mumbled, looking anywhere but at Hermione.

Hermione snorted and shook her head in amusement. "You had sex, right?"

Lily bit her lip and nodded.

"I _knew_ it would happen!" Hermione exclaimed with a cheerful laugh. Lily looked a bit embarrassed.

"I know I said something in the lines of me and James not yet being ready to take that step…"

"Yeah, you said it right before you left to spend almost the whole holiday in his Manor. Next to his bedroom," Hermione interrupted with an arched brow, grinning slyly at her friend.

"I know!" Lily said, looking ashamed. "But it just happened… Am I a total slag?" She said, cringing a little.

Hermione let out a huff of laughter. "Lily, please…You are dating him, are you not? _And_ you wrote me that you _love_ him, correct?" She asked pointedly.

Lily sighed. "Yeah, I am…I do…It's just happening so fast, you know…? By the way, _do not_ tell him that I love him. Otherwise he won't let me hear the last of it if he knows I was first to admit it." She said with a serious face. Hermione sniggered and promised to keep her mouth shut. She suspected that James most likely had felt like that longer than Lily had, but said nothing to her friend.

They visited the shops after lunch, both ending up buying a couple of newly released books from Tomes and Scrolls. The girls spent the afternoon outside, walking along the narrow side streets of the village, until it was dinnertime. They retreated into Hermione's and Aberforth's personal quarters after exchanging a few words with Ab. He was mending the pub, which was not packed but busy enough, so the girls left him be. They had dinner upstairs and afterwards lounged in the living room, both reading their new books in front of the fireplace.

Lily eventually snapped her book shut and stared at her friend with a stern look in her eyes.

"What?" Hermione asked with a hint of bewilderment in her expression.

"You _know_ what, Dumbledore." Lily said pointedly. "I have given you many hours to fess up, but now my limit is up. Speak." She said, crossing her arms after putting her book down on the table and eyeing her friend expectantly.

Hermione groaned. "It just happened…I didn't plan to do anything, but…" She sighed heavily. "It was after the party, and you know, after Sirius came on to me in the balcony, I really wanted some peace and quiet, so I went into an empty classroom –" Hermione explained but Lily interrupted her.

"He what?!" Lily said with a shrill voice. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Hermione took a deep breath, suppressing the mixed feelings of quilt and resentment as she thought about Sirius. "There was nothing to say…He told me he missed me. We kissed. And then he seemed to regret it right after it happened," Hermione explained wearily. "He confirmed it the next day, when he apologised and told me that nothing had changed between us."

Lily gaped at her. "You kissed Regulus _and_ Sirius on the same night?" She asked, her voice rising into high octaves.

At Hermione's deep frown, she quickly continued, "But, um…Sirius. What a git." She muttered, shaking her head incredulously.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, we did talk the next day, and he did apologise. So, I reckon that incident was settled…"

"And Regulus?" Lily asked after a short moment, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Hermione sighed. "I went into an empty classroom to think and just be by myself. Then…Regulus came there. He said he didn't know I was there, and I don't really know why he stayed there in the first place, but then I hugged him and he looked at me in a way he has never looked before. And…and I kissed him…" Hermione said quietly, worrying her lip and staring at the fire.

"Oh." Lily breathed. "How was it?" She asked carefully.

Hermione's brows lifted as she eyed her friend with surprise. Lily merely shrugged. "What? You asked me about me having sex with James, so I think I have the right to know," Lily said matter-of-factly. "And besides, it _is_ quite crucial to know how it felt, if we are trying to have some conclusion in this." Lily said simply.

"We are?" Hermione asked with confusion.

Lily grinned. "Well, of course we are. Now, spill!" She said, eyeing Hermione again with expectation.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine." She grumbled before her expression turned to thoughtful. Until that moment, she had actively tried not to think about kissing Regulus, even though deep down, she knew exactly what it felt like.

"It felt like…the moment after a rainstorm. When everything is fresh and clean… And like the tension after the lightning, when you're expecting the thunder." She said distantly, her mind whirling with images. "And…His lips were warm and softer than I had imagined, and as he kissed me back, I just…I stopped thinking. It was…" She spoke in a dreamy voice that eventually trailed off.

"Magic?" Lily said with a wink.

Hermione was pulled back from her stupor. She narrowed her eyes at Lily, who sniggered.

"But really, that sounds…amazing?" Lily said hesitantly after becoming serious.

"Yes…I suppose it does." Hermione whispered, absorbed in her thoughts. She remembered the warmth that had spread throughout her body and how addicted she had felt at that moment, wanting to taste his lips again, to be as near him as possible. Perhaps it had indeed meant something? Perhaps it was something she couldn't forget after all…?

Lily smiled at her knowingly. When Hermione noticed her friend eyeing her, she threw a pillow at her.

"Stop it, Lils. Let's talk about something else, okay?" She asked seriously.

Lily sighed. "Okay. Well. Sirius?"

"No!" Hermione yelled quickly but then resigned with a sigh. "Okay. You did find him, right?" She asked with a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Yeah, he stumbled back home the next morning, reeking of alcohol. Apparently, he'd gotten himself properly rat-arsed on his two-day bender." Lily said, pursing her lips and shaking her head in disapproval.

"He has been in a very foul mood since, not talking to anyone and merely sulking in his room every day." Lily said hesitantly. "What happened between you two? Did he see you and Regulus?"

Hermione huffed. "No. He didn't see anything. I told him because I wanted to be honest with him and I thought it would be better that he heard it from me than from someone else. It was the day before the New Year's party, when we were looking at the apartments. I told him after he had bought himself a flat." She said, frowning. She knew he wouldn't take it lightly but she couldn't change what happened with Regulus. And now she wasn't sure that she even wanted to.

"Oh." Lily said with surprise. "He didn't even mention the flat. Perhaps it's good that I'll go home tomorrow so James can have a proper talk with him…" She muttered, staring at the fire.

Lily had decided to spend the Friday evening and Saturday with her parents, before she would be returning to Hogwarts on Sunday. She hadn't had a chance to see them at all during their holidays, as they'd been in Paris, and she had been with James.

The girls sat in silence for a while before they headed upstairs into Hermione's room. She had transfigured her cosy armchair into a guest bed and positioned it next to her own bed. After they both had showered and brushed their teeth, they lay under covers in their beds, both staring at the ceiling, lost in their thoughts.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Was that the reason you were so withdrawn at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party? Because of Regulus?" Lily asked thoughtfully.

Hermione sighed. "Well, I suppose yes. I mean, it's all a bit confusing…" She muttered, and Lily hummed in understanding.

"So…you reckon it's going to happen again? …You kissing Regulus?" Lily whispered after a moment of silence.

Hermione contemplated the possibility of that. "I don't know…" She replied quietly.

"…Do you want it to?"

Hermione was silent for a while as she examined her feelings. "Honestly…Even if I did, I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"Well, I'm sure everything will work out for the best..." Lily said reassuringly between yawning. "Good night Mione."

"Night, Lils."

* * *

 **January 6th 1978 (Friday)**

The girls were walking through the village after having breakfast in the Hog's Head.

"I think it's kind of sweet, you know…The way your dad worries about you." Lily said, beaming at her friend.

After Ab had been inquiring about Hermione's wellbeing at breakfast, Hermione had quickly explained to Lily that she had taken a fall in the stairs the other day. Lily had of course been concerned for her friend, and had been quite relieved when Ab had insisted casting diagnostic charms on Hermione's side and her head. Hermione knew that under all the grunting and gruff exterior, Ab was actually very affectionate.

Hermione smiled. "Yeah, he likes to give the impression of being a grumpy old man, but he has his moments."

They walked forward and Hermione almost bumped into someone as she was glancing at the Honeydukes's shop windows. She stopped abruptly, lifting her brows in surprise as she saw a familiar face.

"Gideon!" Hermione said with a smile. Lily shot a surprised glance at her friend.

"Hey, Hermione." He smiled and noticed that Lily was standing in front of him as well. "Lily." He said with a polite nod.

"Professor Prewett." The redhead replied cordially.

Gideon turned to look at Hermione. "How are you feeling?" Gideon asked anxiously, eyeing her searchingly.

Lily arched a brow at her friend and her teacher. Hermione gave a small shake of her head and stared at Gideon with an incredulous look.

Gideon cleared his throat awkwardly. "I, um…just visited your father. He told me you fell down the stairs. Are you okay?" He asked, still eyeing Hermione, giving a quick glance towards Lily.

"Oh. Yeah, it's nothing, really. Just a sore rib." She said with a reassuring smile.

She knew the reason Gideon was so worried about her. After arguing with Aberforth the day before, Aberforth had told her that Gideon had sent Hermione flying across the cave with a banishing charm as the Fiendfyre had been barely a couple of feet away from her. Hermione reckoned that it had been the right thing to do, since none of them wouldn't have had the time to cast the distinguishing charm without her burning alive – the spell required much more focus and willpower than a simple banishing charm.

The last thing she remembered was the fiery phoenix closing in on her, and how the air had been hot, burning almost. And then, nothing. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn't had the strength to maintain the cursed fire to destroy the ring. He had crumbled in exhaustion and the others had had to step in. They were all lucky to be alive.

Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated that she hadn't acted. That she had been too slow to even lift her wand. What if she had been alone with the Headmaster?

Gideon gave her a weak smile. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Well, I must go. I'll see you both in school next week." He nodded to the girls and left quickly towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Okay… _What_ in the name of Merlin was _that_ about?" Lily hissed to Hermione as she watched her friend stare at their teacher's furthering back with a small frown between her eyes.

Hermione turned her eyes quickly to her friend. "It's nothing. He's just friends with my dad, I suppose." She said with a shrug.

Lily eyed her sceptically. "Even you don't believe that, Hermione." She said and sighed. "But…I suppose you'll tell me when you're ready, yeah?"

Hermione smirked at her friend's perceptiveness. "Yes, I will."

"You're not having a fling with him, though?" Lily asked, her expression somewhere between joking and suspicion.

Hermione burst in laughter. "No!"

Both girls laughed as they walked back to the Hog's Head to gather Lily's belongings before she was leaving towards home.

* * *

 **January 8th 1978 (Sunday)**

On Sunday evening, it was time to go back to school. As Hermione saw Lily and her other roommates hopping off from the carriage that was pulled by Thestrals, she knew something was amiss. She saw it edged on their faces; Lily, Mary, Alice and Marlene shared nervous glances before they started approaching Hermione, who was waiting for them near the front doors of the castle.

Hermione hugged her friends before she eyed them in confusion. "What's going on?" She asked slowly, as the other students walked past them into the castle and towards the Great Hall.

Alice and Lily looked a bit uncomfortable, while Mary was quick to explain the situation. "Sirius was fighting in the train." She said, watching Hermione's reaction carefully.

"Oh."

"With his brother." Marlene said pointedly, and arched a brow.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh. Bollocks."

"Yep." Mary said. "You've got some explaining to do, Mione." She said, keeping the tone of her voice light. "But not now, later, okay? Otherwise we'll miss the feast." Mary continued and nudged Hermione to move towards the castle.

Hermione glanced down, feeling embarrassed before she nodded. "I'd rather not." She muttered but followed the others into the Great Hall.

As Hermione sat down between Marlene and Mary at their house table, Lily and Alice took the seats opposite to them. Hermione looked around the table for the Marauders. The boys hadn't arrived yet, and she noticed the others were looking for them as well.

As if summoned, James, Remus and Peter walked towards the table. James and Peter sat beside Lily, while Remus settled next to Mary. Hermione greeted the boys, since she hadn't spent the day with them in the Hogwarts Express like her roommates had. Remus and Peter nodded to her a bit more reserved than usually, while James merely sent her a glare. Even though Hermione had expected this, she was still a bit taken aback by James's cold demeanour.

Soon all the students seemed to be seated at their respective house tables in the Great Hall, except for the Black brothers. Marlene eyed James with her brows furrowed. "Where's Sirius?" She whispered.

"He'll be here in a minute." James replied calmly and gave Hermione a disappointed look.

Hermione averted her eyes and looked towards the Entrance Hall, from where McGonagall was entering the Great Hall. Their Head of House walked briskly towards the teachers table with Professor Slughorn by her side, who was trying to keep up with her. Behind them trailed Sirius and Regulus, both looking ahead with blank expressions.

Hermione let out a stunned gasp as she noticed their dishevelled looks. Sirius was sporting a black eye, with a patch of dried blood trailing towards his temple from his cut eyebrow. There were bruises on his jaw as well. His hair was even messier than usual, and his shirt was severely crumpled. Regulus looked no better. His lip was bleeding, and he too had bruises and cuts over his face, his hair and clothing in the same condition as Sirius's. There was no question if the boys had been engaging in a brawl.

Without acknowledging the other, the boys headed straight towards their own house tables. Regulus took a seat opposite to Snape, his back to the Gryffindor table, while Sirius sat between James and Peter, his back to the Slytherin table. Unfortunately, Sirius now had a clear view at Hermione, and as he glanced at her with his eyes flickering momentarily towards something resembling revulsion, she tried not to let herself be affected by him. James gave her an expression that said, _you know this is your fault,_ before the boys started talking quietly with each other.

The feast started after Dumbledore had given a few words to welcome the students back, and for a moment, everyone was solely focused filling their plates. Before Hermione reached to the servers in the middle of the table, brimming with delicious food, she snuck a glance at the Slytherin table. Snape was staring at her with a bitter look. He cocked an eyebrow as his mouth curved into a sneer. Hermione groaned inwardly and looked away. She had made one hell of a mess. She was content keeping her eyes on her plate for the rest of the meal.

"So…How was everyone's holidays?" Marlene asked from the group as she took a bite of the roasted chicken.

James shrugged, Sirius didn't even look at the others, and the rest of them looked uncomfortable. The atmosphere was tense, there was no doubt of that.

"Well. I had a quite nice holiday." Remus said kindly, and turned to give Mary a smirk. "Spent time with a certain special girl." He said knowingly.

"Oh? And who might that be?" Mary asked with a teasing voice. "Should I keep better care of my territory?" She continued, nudging Remus. Peter and James snorted at their plates, and Remus narrowed his eyes at them.

Hermione was glad that her two friends had found an understanding. Remus seemed to have gained much more confidence and was now generally more open and participating, and Hermione reckoned that part of it was because of Mary.

Mary took a sip from her pumpkin juice before she spoke. "Yeah, mine was great as well. The usual…Visited a bunch of relatives and then played house with this handsome man while my folks were on a small trip." She said, glancing Remus affectionately.

The boys gave their werewolf friend knowing smirks while the boy in question blushed slightly.

"I had a lovely time in France at Frank's grandparents' home." Alice quipped and smiled nervously. "And…Frank proposed," She said with a flustered grin.

All the girls in their group squealed in surprise and the boys eyed her in astonishment.

"You've been keeping this from us the whole day?" Lily asked in bewilderment.

Alice shrugged guiltily. "Well…I kinda wanted all of us to be there when I shared the news."

Hermione gave her friend a warm smile.

"Let's see the bauble," Mary commanded from the opposite side of the table, eyeing Alice expectantly. Alice showed her hand that was adorned with a white gold ring full of sparkling diamonds which sat in the band, surrounding one alluring, luxurious ruby. Between the diamonds and the ruby there were curvy lines, forming a Celtic knot. It was a classic ring, and suited Alice perfectly.

"Wow," Lily, Marlene and Hermione whispered in unison, as the girls leaned closer to take a look at the astonishing ring.

"Fuck me." Mary muttered.

The boys sniggered at Mary's crude language and everyone offered their congratulations to Alice. The news of Alice's engagement had lifted the mood quite a bit, and for a moment everything seemed to be normal.

As the feast was ending, Dumbledore made some announcements before he sent the students to their beds. Hermione was quick to dash out of the Great Hall to escape the uncomfortable tension that had started to build up again. She was unpacking her belongings when the rest of the girls entered the dormitory.

"So, Hermione. What was all that about? I mean, the boys didn't actually say anything, but…Were Sirius and Regulus fighting because of…you?" Marlene asked casually once she and the others had settled in and started to prepare themselves to bed. Lily gave a tight smile to Hermione and went to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth.

"Well…" Hermione trailed, and heaved a frustrated sigh. "I might as well tell you. I kissed Regulus." She said quietly, looking at her lap. Marlene and Alice stared at her in utter surprise, while Mary chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Oh…" Alice finally said, trying to form other words as well but failed. Marlene was still gaping at her, while Mary cleared her throat and gave Hermione a sheepish grin.

"Lily filled me in about what happened at the party. Remus and I came to the terrace right after you left." Mary said hesitantly. "I don't know about the details, but I think Sirius was a bit out of line in there." She said, turning to look at Alice and Marlene. "He yelled at her and said some lousy things about her in front of James and Lily."

Alice nodded but Marlene scoffed, turning her eyes at Hermione. "Well…What did you expect? And why in the name of Merlin would you snog his brother?" Marlene asked incredulously. "I mean, when I suggested that you should get someone new pining after you, I didn't mean you should move on to his brother..." She shook her head disapprovingly.

Hermione sighed. "We were broken up with Sirius. I know it doesn't come as an excuse but I didn't plan to kiss Regulus…It just happened." She said helplessly.

"Do you regret it?" Alice asked carefully.

Hermione was silent for a moment. "I regret that Sirius was hurt by it." She said quietly.

Marlene looked at her with her lips pursed and it was obvious that she disapproved Hermione's actions. Nevertheless, she said nothing more to the matter.

Alice eyed Hermione thoughtfully. "So, are you two a couple now?"

Hermione gave a mirthless laugh. "No, we are not."

"Have you talked with him? Or Sirius? After the party I mean." Mary asked, intrigued.

Hermione shook her head. "No…Sirius won't even look at me and…well. I suppose I'll have to have a talk with Regulus eventually." She said with a shrug.

"Just give him time, Hermione." Lily said, emerging from the bathroom.

"Which one?" Mary asked with a smirk.

Marlene rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom. Hermione groaned inwardly.

"Sirius." Lily said with a pointed look. "I'm sure he will eventually realise what an arse he has been and then he'll apologise to you." She gave her friend a small smile. "Regulus has no reason to be angry at you. He should've known how his brother would react once he found out." Lily said with a shrug and hopped on to her bed after pulling the covers off.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her face. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Can we please just drop this?" She said wearily and went to the bathroom after Marlene came back.

Soon all the girls were in their beds, one by one drifting to sleep. Only Hermione was wide awake. She wished she'd have a vial of sleeping draught, as she was quite sure she was going to be up all night with her erratic thoughts.

* * *

Sirius followed his mates into their dorm after the feast, scowling ahead and slumping onto his bed.

"What did McGonagall say?" James asked as he started to unpack his trunk. Remus and Peter were also organising their belongings onto their personal shelves.

Sirius shrugged, looking down with an angry glare. "Detention next weekend," he grunted.

"Not bad, mate. Honestly, I thought it would have been much worse," James said with an impressed look.

James had been the one who had caught Sirius having his own brother in a headlock in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express. James had been patrolling the train with Lily, like the Head Boy and Girl were expected to, Lily in one end of the train and he in the other. It had been pretty bad, with both boys covered in blood, cuts and bruises, their clothes shredded and the compartment a mess. The bright side of it was that neither of them had used magic against one another, but only their fists. James suspected the consequences would've been much worse if they'd been duelling in the train. Nevertheless, he had to confiscate their wands and report the incident to McGonagall as they arrived to Hogsmeade.

"She took fifty points from both houses."

"Oh." James said, cringing a little but then shrugged. "No matter, we'll get them back like, in a week."

As arrogant as it sounded, they _were_ bright students, and earning points in classes was easy for them.

Remus smiled at James and turned to Sirius. "Yeah, Pads. Don't worry about it."

"I don't." Sirius said with a glare to Remus.

Remus lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay then. Care to fill me and Pete in, why you were trying to mould your brother's face back in the train?" He asked grimly. "Or why you and Prongs suddenly act like two bloody knobheads towards Hermione?"

"No."

James sighed and looked at Sirius, his brows lifted expectantly. "Mate." He said wearily.

"Fine." Sirius said and huffed. "My _dear_ brother snogged Hermione." He grumbled to Remus and Peter, who both stared at him with surprise and shock.

Peter gave Remus a helpless look, asking for the werewolf to take the lead in the matter. Remus knew Peter wasn't great in situations like this. When Sirius was outraged.

Remus threaded his hand through his shaggy brown hair and sighed. "When?"

"What do you mean, when?" Sirius spat, eyeing his friend incredulously.

Remus had to force himself not to roll his eyes. "I meant, when did it happen? Were you two together when it occurred?" He asked calmly. James eyed their conversation with a slight frown between his brows.

"We weren't together then. It was after the last party we had in our common room." Sirius said and then shrugged. "But I don't see the difference. He's my brother, Moony." He said and gave Remus a challenging expression.

Remus sighed. He knew better than to argue with his friend when he was in such a mood. James didn't say anything and merely eyed Remus with the same expression as Sirius.

"Have you talked with her since the New Year's party?" Remus asked hesitantly, while James went to the bathroom to shower.

"No."

"Are you going to?" Remus pressed on.

"Dunno." Sirius grunted and hopped to lie on his bed, flicking his wand on the hangings that closed around him and thus cutting their conversation short.

Remus shook his head in exhaustion to Peter who eyed the scene in bewilderment. The boys didn't talk about anything after that, and everyone went straight to bed after their nightly routines.

* * *

 **January 9th 1978 (Monday)**

Hermione stood up early, not having a single hour of sleep last night. She showered, got dressed quickly, and was out of their dorm before her roommates had even woken up.

She decided to skip the breakfast and instead found an empty space near their DADA classroom, where she opted to wait the remaining hours before their first lesson, DADA, would start.

Her plans were interrupted, when someone opened the door to the classroom where she was sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall.

"Hermione?" Gideon asked with a surprise. "What are you doing here? You know it's not even seven in the morning?" He asked with a yawn.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "How did you know I was here?"

"You know my office is next door…" He said with an arched brow. "My Secrecy Sensor went off…It tends to do that when students sneak in the castle near its range, but it is usually quiet at this time of day." He said with a shrug.

"Oh."

"So? What are you doing here?" He pressed on, giving her a scrutinising stare.

Hermione shrugged. "Just, you know…Waiting for the first class to start…" She mumbled and looked down.

"The first…But why? Why aren't you in your common room? Or at breakfast? Or sleeping?" He asked in bewilderment.

"I just wanted to be by myself for a bit. And…I'm not really in the mood for all the drama…" She trailed off without looking at him.

"Oh. You mean the drama between the Black brothers?" He asked pointedly.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her temple. "Yep..." She said, her voice wavering slightly.

Gideon was silent for a moment, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Come on, then." He said finally, making a move towards the door.

"What?"

"You can have breakfast in my office. I won't have you in my class unnourished. We're going to have a tough lesson today," He said sternly.

Hermione wanted to scowl at him but since she knew he had a point, she followed him without question.

* * *

"What happened in the cave, Gideon?" Hermione asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

They were both eating breakfast at his desk. She knew only what Ab had told her – that the ring had been destroyed, but apparently not by the Headmaster. Dumbledore had somehow lost consciousness before he had managed to do that. She also knew that Gideon had knocked her down when the flames had been closing in on her, and that it was him who had managed to destroy the ring and extinguish the cursed flames. The events in the cave before her concussion were still a bit hazy in her mind and Hermione reckoned that she had hit her head pretty badly.

Gideon eyed her from behind his cup before answering. "When Dumbledore cast the curse, the ring fought back somehow. It whispered some nasty things to Albus, and made his stance waver. It was like he was in some sort of a trance," He said with a contemplative expression.

"What did it say?" Hermione asked anxiously. She remembered Ron and Harry both explaining how the Horcruxes they had destroyed had resisted them.

Gideon frowned. "Something about his sister and the events that led to her death," He said finally.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Merlin…"

"Yeah. He couldn't move, he couldn't say anything. He couldn't control the flames. I'm not lying to you, Hermione. It was pretty horrifying. That, and the fact that you were nearly succumbed by the flames." He said and let out a shuddering breath.

"I had to knock you down, and it wasn't a modest fall, let me tell you. I'm still a bit stunned how you were even able to stand the next day." He said with a worried expression. "Minerva and Fabian were trying to control the fire so that it didn't get you or the Headmaster. It was chaotic." He muttered.

Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile. "But you managed to end it? You destroyed the ring?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Feels like it was more luck than skill though," He said with a huff.

Hermione frowned and took another sip of her coffee. "In my old life, I think everything we managed to do regarding the Horcruxes was with luck," She said wearily.

Gideon sighed. "We need to be more prepared for the next one," he said and rubbed his face.

Hermione nodded. "I agree. We should be able to close our minds, as it seems that the Horcruxes attack our minds and use our weaknesses," she said thoughtfully.

"We'll discuss it with the others." Gideon said agreeably and continued, "That reminds me, when do you want to start your Occlumency training?"

Hermione smiled tightly. "As soon as possible."

* * *

Hermione was already sitting in the DADA classroom when the rest of the students drifted in. Lily was surprised and relieved to see her friend, and quickly took a seat next to her.

"Where were you? We missed you at breakfast," She whispered as their housemates took their places near them.

Hermione lifted her brows at her friend, eyeing her doubtfully.

"Well, I and the girls did." She insisted with a shrug. Hermione smiled at her friend. The class started and they were divided into pairs by Gideon. Hermione was facing Remus, Mary was paired with Sirius, Alice with James and Marlene with Peter. Lily was paired with Snape. James was already heading towards the pair, with every intention to stop them partnering up, but Lily turned to her boyfriend before he had the chance to say anything.

"James, it's okay. I can handle it." She said reassuringly, with a hint of warning in her voice.

"Lily, you can't be serious. Let's switch. I'll take care of Snivellus." He said and eyed the Slytherin with a dark look. Snape sneered back.

"James." Lily said coldly, her nostrils flaring. James gritted his teeth and shoved a hand to his hair in exasperation. Snape eyed the pair with disinterest.

"Fine." James said with a huff as their Professor started to hand instructions. Hermione and the rest of their group let out a silent breath of relief and focused on their own duelling partners.

Lily turned to Snape again. "Thank you for not taking his bait," she said quietly, as Snape stared at her in silence. He nodded slowly and eyed her carefully as she took her duelling position.

His stony expression faltered a bit. "Lily…" He muttered.

"Yes?" She said sternly, eyeing him expectantly.

"I wanted to thank you for the Christmas present. It was most kind of you. Although I wasn't in the knowledge that we were exchanging gifts. Otherwise I would've gotten something for you." He said with an inscrutable voice.

After a long debate inside her head, Lily had decided to give him a small Christmas present, as a peace offering, as well as a sign of her forgiveness. It was a new muggle novel that had been recently released, along with a small box of his favourite Honeydukes sweets; Liquorice Wands.

Lily stared at him for a moment and sighed. Her gift hadn't made the effect she was expecting. "Yeah, no problem," She said with a hint of resignation. He gave her a curt nod and took his duelling stance as well.

* * *

Hermione joined the others for lunch, and was slightly relieved to see that neither James nor Sirius was present. As they had the afternoon free, while the others were going to Herbology, the two Marauders had opted to skip lunch. She had seen Regulus in the Great Hall, sitting next to Snape and facing the Gryffindor table, but he hadn't looked up from his plate as she had glanced at their direction.

After lunch Remus, Peter, Mary, Hermione, Alice and Lily walked to the greenrooms, where Professor Sprout divided the NEWT students into small groups.

"Today we are starting with the general education on Fungi, which will last until the end of March." Professor Sprout spoke from the front of the greenroom. "The first subject is the Bursting Mushroom," She continued as she walked towards the table where several pots stood, each filled with a scattering of odd looking red and white mushrooms.

"The Bursting Mushroom can be disarmed with an Extinguishing Spell. Once neutralised, it can be picked up from the soil, which will permanently disable the Mushroom from exploding." She said before performing the spell on one of the mushrooms in the nearest pot. The mushroom, which had been weaving slightly before, stood now still. "After the harvest, the mushrooms are to be given to the Potion's Class Stores to use in your potion making." She said, flourishing her wand on the mushroom and collecting it from the soil and levitating it into a large jar.

"I want each group to grab a pot and disarm all the mushrooms in there, and then to harvest them into these jars." She said, pointing on the side where several empty jars were waiting. The students complied, and soon the greenroom was filled with incantations of extinguishing and levitating spells.

As Lily was the first in their group to examine their Mushroom pot, Remus turned to look at Hermione.

"How are you?" He asked hesitantly.

Hermione gave him a shrug. "I'm okay. Just don't know what exactly I was expecting when we came back to school…" She muttered.

"You know how he is, right?" Remus said with a frown. "Acting impulsively and then when he's calmed down enough, he regrets his actions…"

Hermione nodded. "That doesn't remove the fact that I am hurt." She said with a sad smile.

"No, it doesn't." He said with a smile. "But it is his brother, Hermione. Even if there had been years between you dating them, he still would've got angry and acted irrationally. Because in his eyes, you were _his_ first. And he probably thinks that you still are his in some way." He explained carefully.

Hermione scoffed. "I'm _not_ dating his brother. And _he_ left _me_ ," She snapped.

"I know." Remus said not unkindly.

"But I understand what you mean. And I know I shouldn't have done that. But what is done is done," She said with a sigh and contemplated her next words a bit. "Do you think I should just leave him be for now, and ignore him?" She asked with hesitation.

Remus shrugged. "I suppose. I think he will talk to you eventually. Just let him mull things for a while and let him come to you, yeah?"

Hermione heaved a sigh. "Yeah, okay." She muttered.

"And how are you, then?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Remus gave a shy smile at her. "Never been better," he said and Hermione chuckled.

"I'm really happy for you, Remus." Hermione said, beaming at her friend.

Lily listened to their conversation and smirked. "Has the relationship advice been traded already? Can we get to work?" She asked teasingly. Hermione and Remus both rolled their eyes and started to work on the mushrooms.

* * *

It was dinnertime and all the Marauders were present again. Hermione sat as far away as she could from James and Sirius, as she wasn't in the mood to receive glares from them. While she listened to Alice chat with Lily about her holiday with Frank and his relatives, Hermione's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table. Regulus was there, eating his dinner next to Snape, changing words with him every now and then. Suddenly he glanced at her from the corner of his eye and as their eyes locked, Hermione nudged her head towards the hallway. He gave her an insignificant nod and Hermione stood up.

"See you in the common room," She muttered to Alice and Lily, who gave her slightly puzzled looks. Hermione gave a reassuring smile to her friends and left the table.

She walked to the staircase and moved up the stairs until she reached the seventh floor. She pulled the Map from her schoolbag to check that no one was in the hallway before she started to pace in front of the wall. Her eyes stayed on the small dot that displayed her name on the Map. Even though it was already been a while since the adoption, she still was not quite used to see her name as Hermione Dumbledore.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and put the Map away before she approached the wall across the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. As the door appeared on the wall, she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced at Regulus and entered through the door, with him following her.

She walked further to the replica of the Gryffindor common room, situating herself on the couch in front of the fireplace. Regulus stayed behind, eyeing the room in mild interest. He walked towards the fire and stood there facing it, his back to Hermione.

"Reg…" She said softly.

He slowly turned around and looked into her eyes, his expression giving nothing away.

"I'm sorry you're hurt." Hermione said, looking at the fading bruises on his face.

"Why? You weren't the one attacking me on the train." He said indifferently.

Hermione eyed him warily and thought about what to say next. "But I told him. I had to. I didn't want to keep it from him."

"I know." Regulus sighed and threaded a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have kissed you." He said quietly.

Hermione swallowed. "You…regret it?" She asked hesitantly, waiting his answer in anticipation.

"No."

"Oh…neither do I." She said with a relieved smile. She saw a hint of smile on his lips.

Regulus sat down next to her, propping his elbows upon his knees and dropping his face into his hands. He let out a muffled groan. "Hermione…We can't be together." He said quietly, glancing at her with a furrowed brow.

Hermione nodded to him and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"…I want to, Salazar only knows how much…Even if I somehow managed to get my brother to accept it, which by the way will never happen, there's still the fact that I'm being watched. It's too dangerous." He said and watched her expression intently as she took his words in.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I know. We can't risk anything, not when there are far more important things to do." She said, referring to the Order and its goal.

Regulus nodded in understanding as he turned to face her, examining her with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear.

"What…What if no one knew? …About us?" Hermione asked, uncertainty crossing her features. "I mean, we are still going to meet because of the Order business," She said quietly.

Regulus stared her for a moment before he smirked at her. "You want to engage in a clandestine affair?" He asked with a low voice. Hermione blushed and bit her lip.

"Is that a yes?" He murmured, leaning towards her. Hermione let out a nervous breath.

"Yes." She whispered and swallowed deeply.

"Okay then." He grumbled, his face so close to her, she could feel his breath against her lips.

Hermione shivered in anticipation as his gaze dropped momentarily to her lips. He studied her with a piercing gaze before he gently pressed his lips against hers. A shiver ran through her spine. He nipped at the corner of her mouth, and then at her bottom lip. Hermione breathed heavily as he explored her lips; he seemed to be intent on taking his time to get to know her. Hermione supressed a groan as he continued fluttering kisses against her jawline, and her neck. When he gently sucked the skin over her pulse, she let out an embarrassingly breathy moan.

Regulus chuckled. _Merlin, he sounded like his brother,_ Hermione thought and rolled her eyes.

He dragged his lips back against hers, brushing her lips with his while staring into her eyes. Each time his lips touched hers, he lingered longer. When Hermione was about to grab his hair and pull him tight against her, his tongue swept across her bottom lip. She sighed as the sensation shimmered through her, making her crave him, wanting to press herself against him. Finally, his lips covered hers properly, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth after she let out a loud gasp. His taste was fresh, exciting and hot as she gently touched his tongue with hers. Regulus moaned at the touch, the sound of him sending a wave of heat rushing through her. She felt her body warm and arch towards him, as his hands took a hold of her waist. Hermione slid her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

Regulus let out a muffled groan against her lips and deepened the kiss, gently pushing her to lie down on the couch, covering her body with his while kissing her at the same time. Hermione lost her ability to think just then, and it seemed that all she was capable of doing was to kiss, to taste and to touch Regulus. She could feel his body responding to her, hard and soft at the same time. He was breathing heavier and as she sucked on his bottom lip, Regulus let out a deep groan that sounded very much like her name. She longed to touch his skin, to press her body against him without any fabric between them. As she trailed her hands down his torso, and slid them under his shirt and touched the warm skin, she felt his body tense up.

* * *

Regulus thought he would explode just then. Hermione's slender body underneath his made his blood boil, and the soft hands that were touching his muscles were burning his skin. He could feel his cock twitching painfully, and resisted the urge to thrust against her and reduce the pressure of his desire. As Hermione ground her hips against his pelvis, Regulus hissed loudly and broke their kiss, shuddering on top of her.

He wanted her; there was no question about that. But he wasn't thinking clearly now. They had come to the room for a reason, after all. With his eyes closed, his mouth hovering next to hers, he waited several moments for his pulse to return to normal and the ache in his groin to ease.

Hermione took shaky breaths as they both calmed down.

"Perhaps we could continue this another time?" Regulus murmured against her lips. "I think we have some talking to do, and I'm afraid that if we continue like this, we aren't ready until the morning." He said, smiling slightly down at her.

Hermione chuckled. "Perhaps you're right." She said and touched the side of his face affectionately.

Regulus couldn't stop himself from leaning against her hand before he sat back on his knees and lifted her into a sitting position as well.

There was a short silence while they looked at one another, scrutinising the other.

"So…" Hermione started, her eyes moving over his face. "…How did the gathering go?" She asked hesitantly.

Regulus felt his expression harden. He frowned a bit before he spoke, going the events over in his head and deciding what she was allowed to know. "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything?" Hermione replied in bewilderment.

Regulus sighed, feeling unsurprised and slightly amused by her answer. "He's planning a raid against the Order on Easter Holidays. He wants my and Severus's attendance."

"But you're not marked yet…right?" She asked carefully, her gaze shifting to his left forearm that was covered with his shirt.

He rolled his eyes, not bothering to tell her that if he was been marked, he probably would've looked a lot worse. Being branded wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Still, Regulus pulled up his sleeve and showed her his unblemished skin. "No. I'm not seventeen yet. That he intends to do at the next Summer Solstice."

"Why?" Hermione asked with confusion. "I mean, why then?"

Regulus shrugged, not in the mood to explain the details. "It is a celestial event, and after the Summer Solstice, the daylight will gradually grow shorter each day, while the darkness grows." He explained vaguely.

Hermione nodded slowly, her brows pulled down into a small frown. "So…his followers take the mark after their seventeenth birthday, during midsummer?" She asked, her voice curious.

Regulus merely inclined his head.

"Does that mean that Snape is already a Death Eater?" Hermione asked hastily, dread flashing in her eyes.

"No. Sev's birthday is not until July, so he will take the mark when I do." Regulus said plainly.

"Oh." Hermione muttered, supposedly mulling the information she had just received in her head. "Do you know anything else about the upcoming raid?" Hermione asked, worrying her lip anxiously. Regulus's eyes flickered briefly to them, and he had to force himself not to think about how only a moment ago, she had been lying under him, pressing herself deliciously against him.

He cleared the tightness away from his throat. "No. And I doubt he'd tell us anything before we are marked." He said with a sigh, turning his eyes towards the fire.

"What happened in there?" Hermione whispered, sounding nervous.

Regulus turned to look at her for a moment. "You don't want to know, Hermione," He said seriously, images flashing in his head.

"Tell me," She said with a warning in her tone, which made his lips quirk up a bit before he schooled his expression into solemn one again.

Regulus's eyes moved between hers before he spoke. "Just the usual, I suppose. He made us watch while he tortured and killed a bunch of people, at the same time using Legilimency to examine our thoughts and reactions about his actions."

Hermione gasped, all colour draining from her face. Regulus shot her a pointed look, inwardly cursing her innocence and her naivety.

She seemed to gather her thought as she spoke only a short moment after. "Anyone the Order knows of?" She asked tightly, almost as if bracing herself.

Regulus watched her carefully. "Dorcas Meadows's husband Frank; he's the only one that was mentioned by name. About the rest…I don't know." He muttered quietly, looking away from her.

Hermione let out a shuddering breath. "Did he…make you do anything?" She carefully asked, as if she was afraid to hear his answer.

When she looked at him like that, her eyes filled with concern and compassion, it was nearly impossible to keep all the ugly and horrible memories locked in the deep, dark corner of his mind. But Regulus knew he had to, otherwise he'd break down. And he was a Black. He was going to be a Death Eater. He couldn't afford to be weak. "He won't expect us to use magic against his enemies until we are of age. But…For some reason, regardless of his hate towards the muggles, he isn't opposed to using their methods of torture and pain." He said, averting his eyes from hers again.

"You tortured someone?" Hermione asked with a mix of shock and disbelief in her voice.

Regulus merely looked at her.

"Reg?" She whispered urgently. She was starting to look nauseated.

Exasperation and bitterness rose inside him. "What? You didn't expect me to exchange mere pleasantries with him, did you?" He said roughly. "I'm going to be a Death Eater, Hermione. If I want to be in his inner circle, I have to play the part." He said, resentment evident in his voice.

Hermione was silent for a while, frowning in disagreement, seeming to harbour suspicions of him. "Do you? Want to be in his inner circle and do as he commands?" Hermione asked eventually, eyeing him with unease.

Regulus felt a small pang of unhappiness by her words. She didn't trust him. He gave her a piercing look, trying to show her his earnestness, trying to show her how afraid he was, and trying to let her know that she could trust him. "Of course not." He said quietly, his insides warming as Hermione's mouth quirked up into a small smile, and her eyes softened.

Hermione nodded, seeming to be relieved, before she picked up two galleons from her pocket and handed him the other one.

She'd spelled them, Regulus knew the moment he touched the galleon. He moved it between his fingers, inspecting it with interest. He was able to recognise some charms by their magical signature, or at least guess the correct one based on the type of the magic in the object.

"Protean charm?" He asked after a moment, smirking slightly at her surprised expression.

"How did you…" She started, but then shook her head in bewilderment. "Well, yes, it is actually. These two are connected with each other," she explained, and Regulus had to smile at her inventiveness.

"I suggest we use them to contact each other, and only meet in here. Is that okay?" She continued, her brows lifted in question.

"Yes. Only…does it have to be the Gryffindor common room?" He asked and gave her a teasing look.

Hermione let out a small huff. "Well, I certainly won't change it to the Slytherin quarters again." She said wryly. "The place gives me the creeps."

"Understood." Regulus said with laughter in his voice. "Whatever you want is fine by me." He said, staring into her eyes with a blank expression.

Before his mind started to whirl again and his eyes wander over her lips, he cleared his throat and asked, "And how was your holiday?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well…compared to yours, I suppose it was a bit dull one." She said with a shrug.

Regulus's jaw tightened slightly. They both knew that that wasn't the truth. He knew that something had happened to her during the holiday. Something horrible.

As she obviously didn't want to discuss the matter, Regulus merely lifted his brows with interest and took her hand in his, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. A small blush worked its way up to her cheeks.

"I, um…Just spent some time with friends and family." She said nonchalantly, shrugging lightly.

Regulus saw the hesitance in her eyes, and wondered what else she was hiding; besides the obvious injury she had suffered. "You saw my brother?" He asked softly, watching her reaction carefully.

Regulus assumed they'd met over the holidays, as his brother had practically ignored him during the train ride to London, but sought him out the moment the train had left back to Hogwarts.

Hermione gave him a weary and apologising look. "Yes. We went to see an apartment for him." She explained unenthusiastically.

Regulus's brows lifted in surprise. He had assumed that his brother was going to move on his own eventually, as he knew that their uncle, Alphard, had given Sirius a decent bit of gold. But what he hadn't guessed, was that Hermione had gone with him to search for an apartment. "Oh."

"We, uh…agreed to do it a long time ago, and when we broke up, he asked me to go with him…as his friend," She said awkwardly.

"Okay." Regulus said and eyed her thoughtfully, not able to stop the doubts seeking their way into his head. He assumed there still were some feelings between his brother and Hermione, since they had only just broken up, but how deep, he didn't know.

"I told him then. That I kissed you. And then I went to the Potters' New Year's party the next day, and…he pretty much lashed out at me at the party." She muttered, cringing slightly.

Regulus wasn't exactly surprised to hear how his brother had acted. "What did he say?" He asked quietly, staring at her impassively.

Hermione sighed. "It doesn't matter. Something similar what he said to you I suppose…" She said with a shrug.

Regulus's gaze hardened. "I certainly hope not." He said coldly, remembering exactly what his brother had said to him, or yelled, more like.

She touched his face affectionately. "Hey…I know we have to have a talk about him…and with him eventually but…let's not talk about it now, okay?" She said, and he could see a hint of desperation in her eyes.

Regulus gave her a nod. "Anything else you want to share? About your holiday?" He asked carefully, glancing at her hand that was still clasped against his, his eyes fixated on the bracelet, his thumb brushing the cold jewels and the thin chain around her wrist.

As he glanced at her, Hermione's eyes widened with recognition. "Oh! Thank you. It's lovely," She said with sincerity, smiling at him.

Regulus's lips twitched a bit. "I'm glad you like it. And wear it." He said, and was thoughtful for a moment, wondering if she was being evasive on purpose. "That's not what I meant though." He continued and gave her a slightly demanding look.

Hermione looked nervous all of a sudden, and frowned slightly before she spoke. "What do you mean?" She whispered with uncertainty.

"Something happened to you." He said gravely. "You were hurt."

Hermione let out a small gasp. "What? How –" Then her eyes dropped down to her wrist and her eyes widened with understanding. "The bracelet," she whispered.

"I assume you know it is charmed?" Regulus asked simply, and Hermione gave him a hesitant nod. "It gives a strong protection for the wearer, lessening the pain and damage one might receive." He explained, his eyes moving over her face, studying her.

Hermione frowned, supposedly processing the information. "But that doesn't explain how you would know I was hurt?" Hermione asked after a moment, her eyes searching his.

"When using magic like this, absorbing something physical through an object rather than using your wand, one has to direct it somewhere, as it can't simply vanish into thin air." Regulus explained, keeping his voice light while his gaze was trained on the bracelet.

Hermione swallowed audibly. "Where is it directed?" She said, her voice filled with dread.

He slowly lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, his expression giving nothing away. "I think you already know, Hermione."

She was startled, even though it was obvious that she had suspected it already. "But…why? Why would you voluntarily hurt yourself on my behalf?" Hermione whispered, looking at him with an innocent and awed look in her eyes.

He shrugged before he spoke, knowing that he couldn't tell her the truth. "The effect that comes through is weakened considerably. Don't worry about it, love." He said and brought her hand up to meet his lips, kissing her wrist tenderly.

Hermione seemed to be speechless, and merely gaped back at him. There was a mix of emotions flickering in her eyes, and Regulus was mesmerised by them. She seemed overwhelmed, doubtful, anxious and awestruck at the same time. She also seemed to be undecided whether she should scold him for his foolishness or express her gratitude for his thoughtfulness.

"Reg…I…it's too much," She stammered.

Regulus merely smiled at her. "It really isn't," he said, and as she opened her mouth to disagree, he continued, "Hermione, can we not talk about it right now?" He said, his fingers moving up on her arm.

She shivered at his touch, her eyes becoming darker. Regulus stared into her eyes with an intense gaze, wanting so many things at the same time, all of them related to her. He admired the way she let out a stammering breath, and how there was a subtle flush creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. He needed to be closer to her. He needed to feel her again.

"In fact, what if we don't talk at all for now?" He murmured and leaned down closer to her, closing the distance between them and capturing her lips in a bruising kiss.


	23. Libraries and bathrooms

**A/N:** Aaand we're back in business! Thank you once again for reading and reviewing :) About this chapter...If you want to read the MA -version, it can be found on Ao3 under the same pen name :P

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Libraries and bathrooms**

 **January 12th 1978 (Thursday)**

As their class was dismissed and everyone started to head towards the Great Hall for lunch, Hermione stayed behind to 'talk' with their Professor. Gideon and Hermione had agreed to have their first Occlumency training after the DADA lessons on Thursday, so she gathered her things slowly and waited for the room to empty.

Before Lily left the room, she gave Hermione a meaningful look, purposefully glancing at their Professor before looking at her friend again.

Hermione suppressed a groan and whispered quickly to her friend, "I'll talk to you later."

Lily seemed unsatisfied but nodded and left the classroom.

Hermione sighed. It was obvious that Lily had started questioning Hermione's meetings with their Defence Professor, and the way she had become familiar with him. She hadn't said anything, but Hermione could see it from her eyes.

Hermione thought that her relationship with Gideon was still appropriate for a student and a teacher, but she could understand why Lily might have been suspicious. She reckoned that she ought to tell her friend about her participation in the Order sooner rather than later.

As usual, Gideon gestured for them to move into his office, and took his usual place behind his desk. Hermione sat down in the armchair opposite to him and eyed him tensely.

"Before we start, the Headmaster informed me that we have a meeting today. In his office." He said as he studied her.

"Oh." Hermione wasn't really surprised, as they hadn't yet had the chance to meet after destroying the Horcrux. "Okay. What time?"

"After dinner. Hermione…Are you sure you're ready for this? For the Occlumency training?" He asked with a mild concern.

Supposedly, she had been a bit withdrawn during their first week back in school, and there were multiple reasons why. Even though they had managed to destroy one Horcrux, their mission had almost failed. _They could've had died_ if Gideon hadn't managed to destroy the Horcrux. And then Gideon had confessed it was merely _by luck_ that he had succeeded. Even though she had talked with Gideon about the mission and being prepared before the next one, she was still constantly worrying about how they would be able to destroy the rest of them, not to mention acquiring them first.

Then there was Regulus…Voldemort was turning him into a killing machine, a _child_ not even the age of seventeen. She felt torn, and she wanted nothing more than to make it stop even though she knew it wasn't an option. On the other hand, she knew he would be a valuable asset to the Order if he remained a spy. But for what price? His soul would be ripped apart by all the horrifying things he had done and would do under his new master. And Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty about it.

And then of course there was the awkward tension in their group of friends, at least whenever Hermione, Sirius and James were all present. It wasn't that the others were mad at her, but merely that they didn't want to interfere with their qualm, or to take sides. It was easier when the boys weren't present, and she reckoned it was like that when she wasn't either. Lily didn't approve James's way of acting, but she was still his girlfriend, and in love with him. And Hermione would be damned if she meddled in their relationship in any way. What if her actions would cause Harry to never exist?

What made her jittery and on edge was the knowledge that as they'd start the Occlumency training, Gideon would be able to see everything. Everything in her past, every moment of joy and despair. Everything. Even her unresolved feelings towards Regulus.

Hermione took in a deep breath. "I'm ready," Was all she managed to say after her complicated thoughts.

Gideon eyed her for a moment before he nodded. "Has my sister written to you?" He asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, she has actually. We made some plans to meet at the village, on the next Hogsmeade weekend."

He looked surprised. "Oh? What about the kids?"

"She's bringing them with her. Apparently Mr. Weasley has to go to work then." Hermione said with a shrug.

Gideon smirked. " _Mr. Weasley…_ If you two want to grab lunch or something, I can take care of the kids." He suggested.

"Oh. Well, I'm fine with whatever Mrs. Weas…I mean, _Molly,_ wants." Hermione said and rolled her eyes at Gideon's amused expression.

"I'll owl Molly to let her know." Gideon said and drew himself up in his seat, his expression becoming grave.

Hermione swallowed hard and tried to clear her mind before she nodded to him.

* * *

After dinner, Hermione found herself sitting next to the Prewett twins and McGonagall, facing a severe looking Headmaster.

"I trust you all have some thoughts regarding our latest mission. Let me say something first." Dumbledore started, folding his hands on the table.

"The last mission stirred something very personal in me. Something I have longed and been consumed with for a long time." He said with a sigh. The others stared at him warily. "The Gaunt Ring was inset with a black stone. Not an average stone, might I add…but one with magical powers. I imagine Riddle wasn't even aware of those powers, or if he was, he probably had no use for it." He said quietly.

"What was the power?" Gideon asked, intrigued. Hermione knew the answer already, as she had seen the stone and its engraving, but remained quiet and let the Headmaster speak.

"The power to recall your loved ones from Death." Dumbledore said simply.

McGonagall gasped, while the Prewetts stared at him in shock.

"The Resurrection Stone?" McGonagall whispered in disbelief.

"What? From the children's book?" Fabian asked in confusion.

Dumbledore nodded. "It seems that at least the stone was in fact a real magical artefact," He said and Hermione frowned at him.

Although she'd had her doubts about the Hallows' existence, she kept thinking if it was possible that only one of them was real and the others a mere story? She hadn't believed in any of them before they had been in the cave, where she had taken a look at the Gaunt Ring. She'd seen the markings of the Deathly Hallows engraved into the black stone, and reckoned it had to have been the Resurrection stone. The stone had been the reason why the Headmaster had hesitated destroying the ring in the cave.

And if the Deathly Hallows were in fact real, was the Invisibility cloak she had in her beaded bag, as well as the one James had in his possession, one of the Hallows, as Harry had believed and she now suspected? She chose not to say anything for now, and to look into it later. Perhaps she could have a chat with the Headmaster about the Deathly Hallows on some other time.

"But it is destroyed now?" McGonagall asked, bringing Hermione back from her thoughts.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded and looked down. "As you all heard in the cave, my sister Ariana's passing was partially my fault. I will not bore you with the details, but only state that I regret everything that lead to the incident. I wish I could take it all back, to change the past. To bring her back." He said and glanced at Hermione with a hint of agony flashing in his blue eyes.

Hermione gave him a sad smile. McGonagall dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue and reached over to pat Dumbledore's hand.

The Headmaster took a deep breath and looked at the others. "The reason we nearly failed in our mission was my hesitance to destroy the stone. I let him get inside my head in a moment of weakness, and tried to find a way to save the stone while destroying the ring, but found nothing. The part of Voldemort's soul on the other hand obtained the possibility to feast upon my guilt, and to use my weaknesses against me. I made a mistake, which could've costed our lives. And for that, I offer you my deepest apologies," He said eyeing the others with a mix of defeat and regret, the twinkle in his eyes lost somewhere.

Hermione stood from where she sat and made her way around the table. "Uncle, there's no shame admitting you've made a mistake," She said softly and gave him a hug. Albus hugged her back, holding on tightly.

"I must've done something right in this life to gain such a wise person as my niece," He said quietly before she walked back to her chair. Hermione smiled sheepishly and sat down.

McGonagall beamed at Hermione and the Headmaster. "Indeed. A true leader is one who is humble enough to admit their errors." She said and the Prewetts nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore seemed a bit overwhelmed but cleared his throat and nodded.

"So. Shall we discuss and plan how we are going to continue, regarding the remaining Horcruxes and the methods to destroy them, as well as strengthening our minds?" Dumbledore asked with a determined look.

"Methods? I thought we agreed the Fiendfyre was our only option?" Gideon asked from the Headmaster, glancing at the others. "And, as for improving our Occlumency shields, I have agreed with Hermione to train her, and I will brush up my skills with Fabian," He continued, and Dumbledore gave him a satisfied nod.

"That sounds perfectly acceptable. About the methods…the Fiendfyre certainly is the only available option for now. However, I will investigate other possibilities. As Hermione has informed us, Basilisk Venom is one of the substances that can in fact destroy a Horcrux."

"But how?" Hermione asked in bewilderment. "We cannot access the Chamber of Secrets without a Parselmouth, can we?"

"Merlin…It still beats me to hear that the place and the thing in there actually exist." Fabian muttered.

Dumbledore smiled at them. "There might be something else, something so destructive that the Horcrux can't repair itself," he said simply.

"Will we still continue training the Fiendfyre curse?" Hermione asked with a slight concern in her voice. She really didn't fancy going back into that cave but she knew it was inevitable.

Dumbledore eyed her over his half-moon spectacles, probably guessing her line of thought as he replied, "I suggest we take a short break from training and in the meantime, we focus on strengthening our minds, as well as a way to acquire the next Horcrux. Would that be suitable for everyone?" He asked with a small smile.

Everyone murmured their agreement.

"What is the next object, Albus?" McGonagall asked with a grim look.

Dumbledore contemplated his answer before he spoke. "At the moment the remaining Horcruxes that we know of are Tom Riddle's diary, Salazar Slytherin's locket and Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Then there is the one unknown object we assume Voldemort has already created," He outlined. "According to our information, the diary is supposedly in the possession of the Malfoys, while the locket is in the Cave. The cup's location is yet uncertain, although the Lestrange vault in Gringotts and the Lestrange Manor are possible places, if you agree?" He asked, eyeing Hermione, who nodded in agreement.

"There are some powerful and famous magical artefacts in our world, some of which are known as myths, and we can suspect one of these to be the unknown Horcrux. But the problem is that some of them are merely myths, and the ones that are not, are going to be quite difficult to acquire." He said with a thoughtful expression.

"As we have no way to the Malfoy or Lestrange vaults in Gringotts, or their family Manors at the moment, I suggest we focus on the remaining two Horcruxes. According to Hermione, Riddle will soon test the defences of the locket, so I suggest we will simply wait until we can act. In the meantime, we all should look into the known lost magical items. Would that be acceptable?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I think it is a good plan, and since we have Regulus on our side, we will get the confirmation about the locket from him eventually."

Gideon frowned at her. "You have told him about the Horcruxes?"

"No. But…I think we will tell him eventually?" Hermione asked from Albus. He nodded in confirmation.

"About Regulus…He was in a Death Eater gathering on Christmas Eve, the one I told you about earlier. I had a chance to talk with him about what happened in there, and he informed me that Voldemort is planning a raid against the Order during Easter holidays." Everyone stared at her intently. "But he didn't know any details about it, as he reckoned that he would receive only the necessary information in a very short notice." Hermione concluded.

"What do you mean, in a very short notice?" Gideon asked with a furrowed brow.

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable. "He and Severus Snape are expected to join the raid."

McGonagall gasped. "But they are students. They are children." She stammered.

"I know," Hermione said with a frown. "And that's not all. Regulus witnessed several killings in the gathering." She said, worrying her lip. Everyone stared at her in shock and disbelief.

"The only one he knew by name was Frank Meadows. The others he didn't recognize and they weren't named." She continued, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. "They were all muggles." She whispered, her throat burning.

McGonagall gave a silent sob while Dumbledore took a sharp breath. The twins both looked down helplessly.

"We knew Frank was missing, as Dorcas, his wife, is a member in the Order. Of course, she and everyone else knew there was the possibility that he was dead, but now having the confirmation…" McGonagall whispered to Hermione, her voice trembling. Hermione gave a sad nod to her Head of House.

They were all silent for a while.

Dumbledore eyed Hermione gravely. "Is he going to mark them?"

"Not until the summer." Hermione said and stared at her uncle with a hint of bitterness. "You knew what he was in for when you suggested that he could be a spy?"

He nodded while the others eyed her grimly. Apparently, they all had had a fair guess what one was expected to do when joining Voldemort's cause.

"Unfortunately, I did. And I believe so did young Regulus." Dumbledore said solemnly.

* * *

 **January 13th 1978 (Friday)**

On Friday morning, Hermione and the girls were having breakfast in the Great Hall. The boys came to sit down at the Gryffindor table, all of them wearing identical smirks.

 _Oh, great_ , Hermione thought. _They are up to something._

"Why do I have the feeling something bad is about to happen soon?" Mary muttered next to Hermione, glancing at the Marauders. Hermione hummed in agreement.

Lily turned to look at her boyfriend who had just sat down beside her. "James?" She asked with a warning tone in her voice.

"Yes, love?" He replied, with an innocent expression.

 _Oh, he was good._ Hermione thought and rolled her eyes. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her when he saw her eyeing them. _Oh, look at that. Still mad at me…_ She thought and sighed inwardly, turning her eyes back to her plate. It was getting a bit ridiculous, the glares she received from Sirius and James. At least Snape had backed off and eyed her now indifferently, or not at all, as usual.

 **BOOM!**

A loud rumbling came from the Entrance Hall, followed by a whooshing sound. Dumbledore and several teachers stood up alerted, their wands at the ready. A moment later the caretaker ran into the Great Hall, with a cascade of water racing him from the hallway.

"The toilets!" The caretaker yelled as he ran towards the teachers table, panting as he had barely escaped the several meters high water turmoil that thankfully came down as it reached the Great Hall, now filling the floor with water and…

Several high-pitched screams and yelling echoed throughout the hall. People were panicking and every student quickly stood up on the benches they were sitting on a moment ago, trying to avoid the soiled water that was now everywhere on the floor, slowly rising up.

The Marauders were smirking subtly at each other, trying to keep a straight face while every other person in the hall looked either frightened or annoyed. Some were still screaming and yelling, while others tried to mutter incantations to vanish the water. It was a chaos. Hermione shook her head in annoyance when she saw the boys stifling chuckles, and moved her gaze towards the teachers table. Some of them tried to calm the students from where they stood and some tried to charm the water or vanish it.

"What in the name of Merlin is happening?" McGonagall's voice demanded over the others, as she lifted her wand to make intricate patterns towards the water. When nothing happened, Hermione reckoned the water was charmed somehow, making it immune to regular vanishing and siphoning spells.

Hermione could see faint amusement on the Headmaster's expression before he stood up and waved his wand over the Hall, finally vanishing the water and making most of the students quiet down. As Hermione stepped down on the floor, she saw Regulus do the same and roll his eyes towards the Marauders before moving his gaze to her.

A faint smile tugged his lips before he looked away. Hermione took a deep breath, frowned and focused on her irked roommates. Particularly one of them was outraged.

"You bloody git!" Lily shrieked as she slapped James on the arm.

"Hey!" James exclaimed in a wounded voice.

"Oi, Evans, don't get your knickers in a twist! Why do you always expect the worst of him?" Sirius asked playfully, winking at her.

Lily gave Sirius a scorching glare. "Don't even get me started with you, Black." She snarled and stood up abruptly; giving Remus and Peter a stern look, making the two boys shrink a bit in height, before she walked briskly towards the teachers' table.

She scowled at James over her shoulder. "Come on, Potter. We are expected to offer our help as Head students." She said and continued forward. James looked a bit frightened of his girlfriend as he followed her, while Sirius, Remus and Peter smiled at their friend's expense.

Mary and Alice eyed the whole situation with a mild amusement, while Marlene was cursing next to them.

"Bloody wankers…" She muttered as she levitated her dirty and wet schoolbag from the floor. Remus was instantly by her side, helping her clean and dry it with a remorseful expression while Sirius merely huffed and left the hall for a smoke.

The students were starting to drift away from the Great Hall and as Hermione reached her Ancient Runes class, she had learned that _some people_ had managed to clog _every_ toilet in the school, except the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

* * *

Sirius and James had a free period, which they spent mostly by hanging outside Myrtle's bathroom, chuckling at the students who dared to enter there. Every single one of them exited a while later with terror edged into their eyes.

"Everything okay with the Head Girl?" Sirius asked with a smirk as they watched two younger Gryffindor girls entering the bathroom.

James rolled his eyes at his friend and threaded a hand through his hair. "Fuck if I knew. She stomped to her class before I had a chance to even open my mouth." He said with an exasperated sigh.

Sirius hummed in agreement. "You know, Prongs…It was so much easier to throw a prank before you hooked up with her." He said and pursed his lips.

James groaned. "Tell me about it…Wouldn't change a thing though." He said with a shrug.

Sirius eyed his friend. "Yeah, I know. She's cool. You know, she has her moments. And she's hot," He added, waggling his brows.

James punched him. "Dick."

"Ouch."

"Talked with your brother lately?" James asked, with every intention to annoy his friend, as he very well knew that Sirius hadn't even glanced at his brother's direction.

"Belt up." Sirius said with an irked glance. "Got nothing to say to that little arsehole."

James shrugged. "Dunno. I reckon you might have more in common than your feelings towards a certain girl…" He said with a grin.

"Wanker." Sirius muttered, turning to look at the bathroom from where a third year Hufflepuff came running.

James smirked at his friend.

"I'm going for a fag. You in?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence, and stood up from the floor where they were lounging, looking at his friend expectantly.

James hesitated for a moment but eventually sighed and stood up. "Yeah, why the hell not."

* * *

After their classes that day, no one had managed to unclog the toilets. It was a bit unnerving situation, and Hermione had heard several people talking about how Myrtle had been beside herself with joy as there was a constant queue in her bathroom, it being the only one working in the entire school.

As Hermione was sitting with her housemates at dinner, there was suddenly a burning sensation against her thigh. She hissed silently, more in surprise than in pain, and then remembered the charmed galleon she had in her pocket. Hermione quickly took it so that no one saw, and looked at the message on it.

 _After dinner RoR? -RB_

She smiled and looked up. Regulus was wearing a subtle smirk as he talked with Snape. She tapped her wand at the galleon to reply to him.

 _Homework? -HD_

She eyed the others at her table to make sure no one saw her ministrations with the galleon. Luckily no one paid her any attention, as the Gryffindors were all engrossed into a debate about who was responsible of clogging the toilets. _As if they had to try to guess…_

 _That too. -RB_

Hermione lifted her brows and looked up to the Slytherin table again. This time he was looking at her, with a searing gaze that made her swallow deeply. She tried to prevent the blush rising to her cheeks but failed. He seemed to notice and smirked at her with arrogance. That _Black_ arrogance…Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and could see him supressing a grin.

* * *

"How was your week?" Regulus asked as he gave her neck all his attention, kissing and sucking it in a way that made her babble incoherently.

Their homework – which they had actually managed to do without any difficulties – lay on the table in front of the fireplace. He had her pinned under him on the sofa again, and this time he was pressed against her so snugly, that she could feel his every muscle, his every move, and his obvious sign of arousal.

Hermione gave a needy sigh when he nipped her neck in order to make her answer.

"I, um…" She breathed, as he continued his ministrations. "Reg…"

"Yes, love?" He grumbled in a low voice, between open mouthed kisses that trailed down towards her breasts. He had already opened half of the buttons of her oxford shirt and stopped just as he reached the top of her breasts, concentrating on the visible skin with his soft mouth.

Hermione shivered as he kissed the tender skin before trailing back up.

"I can't…focus." She whimpered as he kissed her mouth thoroughly, his tongue pushing between her lips as she parted them, inviting him in. He tasted her, tracing her tongue with his and she positively ached as the sensations made her body warm and tremble.

Regulus breathed heavily and looked down at her. "Me neither. Let's talk later." He murmured before proceeding to kiss her senseless.

* * *

 **January 18th 1978 (Wednesday)**

The next week Hermione, Lily and Alice were waiting in front of the Arithmancy classroom for their first class of the day to start. The boys and Mary were having the Care of Magical Creatures lesson while Marlene had a free period.

"…I don't even know where it is," Alice said in frustration, after she had explained to her friends that Frank's mother had wanted for the wedding to take place next July in some old Mill that apparently was a traditional venue for Longbottom weddings.

Lily frowned. "I'm sorry Allie. Frank's mother seems to be a bit…determined?" She said with a slight cringe.

"She's downright tyrannical, let me tell you," Alice grumbled, shaking her head.

Hermione and Lily both stifled a chuckle.

"You know, you do have a say in your own wedding," Hermione said comfortingly. "But I can see you don't wish to argue with her…" She said and thought back the time when she had met the hard-headed matriarch of the house Longbottom. Even Neville, her own grandson had thought that she was a force of nature and not one to be messed with.

Alice heaved a sigh. "Yeah…" She muttered, her eyes moving somewhere else. Lily and Hermione followed her line of sight and saw Snape eyeing them from the other side of the hallway with a small frown between his brows. He seemed to be contemplating something before he finally cleared his throat and approached the girls.

"Lily…" He said with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Can I have a word?"

Hermione and Alice both gave their friend looks of surprise, but Lily seemed unaffected.

"Sure." She said with a nod and glanced at Hermione and Alice with a furtive look. She followed Snape as they walked slightly away from the other students, to the end of the hallway.

Lily eyed Snape expectantly. When he didn't say anything, she lifted her brows expectantly. "Well? What is it you wanted to talk about?" She asked not unkindly.

He eyed her with a stony expression. "This is for you." He said and pushed a gift-wrapped parcel in her hands.

Lily frowned. "What is this?" She asked with confusion. Her birthday wasn't until the end of the month, and she didn't even expect him to give her anything.

"As I said earlier, I wasn't aware we were going to exchange gifts for Christmas." He said awkwardly. "Forgive me…for being late." He muttered, his stony expression faltering.

Lily knew perfectly well the apology had a double meaning. He was apologising for his actions towards her, which lead for them to end their friendship. Lily stared at him searchingly.

"Thank you, Severus." She finally said and gave him a warm smile. His expression softened, as he regarded her with relief and appreciation. His mouth quirked up slightly, and she would've missed it if she hadn't watched him so closely.

"No problem." He said with a nod and made a move towards the classroom that was now open.

"Sev?" Lily asked after he had taken a step. He turned back and eyed her with a small lift in his brows.

"I forgive you." She said quietly, looking into his eyes anxiously.

Snape's eyes widened in shock, and she could see him stiffen. Lily advanced him slowly, looking at his eyes which were flickering with several emotions.

He swallowed deeply. "Thank you." He said quietly. Lily nodded and walked past him, straight into the classroom where the other students were already sitting. She sat down next to Hermione and finally Snape entered the classroom, closing the door behind him. He had a small smile on his lips as he walked to the back of the room and took his seat.

* * *

After lunch Hermione sat next to Snape in their Potion's class. Today's assignment was to brew the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, and after Slughorn had given them instructions, Hermione started their cauldron while Snape went to the storage room to get the ingredients, as usual.

As he came back, he put the ingredients on the table and eyed Hermione from the corner of his eye.

"What?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Snape narrowed his eyes to her as he handed over the Bloodroot Sterns to be cut lengthwise and scraped from fluids and fibrous material. He added the appropriate amount of Fluxweed oil into their cauldron with a serious look on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Perhaps _you_ should take a dose of this when it's ready," She said with a smirk. She was used to her sullen Potions partner, but she couldn't always resist retaliating to his snappy attitude.

To her astonishment, he actually tried to suppress a smirk of his own. Hermione lifted her brows and shook her head in bewilderment.

Snape cleared his throat. "Are you possibly going to the library after classes?" He asked with an unreadable expression as he stirred their potion.

Now she was even more taken aback. He never inquired her about anything. Other than her intentions with Regulus.

Hermione arched a brow at him. "Why?" She asked warily. She was in fact going, and Lily had promised to accompany her, since James would be in Quidditch practice before dinner.

He rolled his eyes. "May I join you?" He asked in an almost inaudible voice. Hermione actually leaned closer to him to make sure she understood. _He wanted to join her to the library? What in the name of Merlin…Oh. Lily._

Hermione gave him a suspicious look. "Are you asking just because you want to meet a certain red-haired friend of mine?" She asked, glancing at Lily who was sitting with James a couple of desks to their left.

Snape sent a glare at her. "Would you keep your voice down?" He hissed. "I'll bring my friend if you bring yours." He continued coldly and eyed her with a pointed look.

 _Regulus._ It wasn't that she couldn't be in the same place with him, but they had agreed to spend as little time as possible together when outside the Room of Requirement. She frowned and reckoned that it probably wouldn't be that bad if he was accompanying Snape, and if they'd stay in one of the secluded corners in the library, away from prying eyes and ears.

"What? You wish to not see him?" Snape taunted when she didn't reply to him. "Got what you wanted and now you're over him?" He spoke to her with a low voice, giving a dirty look at the jewellery on her wrist.

Hermione scowled at him. "You know nothing, Snape," She said sharply.

He merely smirked at her.

"Five o'clock. Don't be late." She then snapped and turned her focus back to the Bloodroot Sterns and started to crush them into fine paste with her mortar, probably with more force than necessary. She _really_ wanted to tell him to bugger off but she had been the one who had suggested Lily to forgive him in the first place, and she reckoned that he was too proud – or a coward – to ask her to the library himself.

They didn't exchange words for the rest of their double Potions class and when Slughorn announced that their lesson was ending, Hermione jumped from her seat, delivered the glass phial containing their potion to the Professor and left the room without looking back. She'd meet Lily later in their common room, before they would head towards the library.

* * *

Lily and Hermione moved to the far corner in the library, the one Hermione occasionally used when she wanted privacy. The girls sat down opposite to each other and started with their homework as they heard footsteps heading their direction.

Snape and Regulus came to stand at the end of their table, eyeing the girls warily. Lily stared back at them with surprise, as Hermione hadn't told her they would be coming.

Snape seemed to understand what was going on, and he sent an annoyed glare at Hermione, but Lily missed it as she was busy smiling politely to the boys.

"This taken?" Regulus asked from Hermione, regarding the chair beside her. She could see softness in his eyes and a tiny quirk on his lip, but otherwise his expression gave nothing away.

"It is now." Hermione said with a wide smile and gestured him to sit down. He gave her a subtle once over before he came to sit down beside her, pulling the chair a bit closer to her than it was originally placed.

"May I join you, Lily?" Snape asked awkwardly, and Lily nodded in bewilderment, with a tense smile on her lips.

"Sure." She managed to say, making room for the boys at their table.

The two Slytherins placed their books, parchments and quills on the table and started to work, and the girls followed suit. They studied in a comfortable silence for some time, and everyone was focused on their assignments, at least until Hermione's thoughts began to wander.

Being this close to Regulus brought back images from last Friday, when they had met in the Room of Requirement. It was as if she could feel the heat of his body, floating over from him, and sitting as close to him as she now did, was not enough. She ached for his touch, and wondered would the others notice if she touched his hand under the table? But where would that lead them…Would she be satisfied with a mere hand holding? She bit her lip as she remembered how his hands had caressed her body, and how his soft lips had made her blood sing.

She must've had squirmed in her seat because he turned to look at her. Hermione saw him examining her features from the corner of her eye, supposedly taking in the faint blush on her cheeks and her slightly darkened eyes. She glanced at him, staring straight into his grey eyes, and Hermione could see that he was breathing slightly heavier than normally, as was she most likely. As he licked his lips slowly, his gaze focused on her lips, Hermione's breath hitched.

"I, uh…have to grab a book for reference," Hermione stammered breathlessly and stood up abruptly, storming away from where they sat.

Regulus moved his gaze back to his books and suppressed a smile. He stood up a minute after, not bothering with an excuse to the others, and followed Hermione between the shelves.

* * *

Lily rolled her eyes to their empty chairs. "They aren't fooling anyone," She muttered to herself.

Snape turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Lily scoffed. "I mean I have seen how they ogle each other every meal time, and I know she has snuck out to see him at least once since the term started." She said matter-of-factly.

He lifted his brows in slight wonder. "Didn't realise they were that obvious."

"They aren't, but I'm her friend, and I'm worried about her, so I tend to look after her. But I'm sure no one else has noticed." She said and shrugged.

Snape nodded. "You should keep the information to yourself. It does no one good if it gets out," He said slowly.

Lily whirled towards him. "What do you mean, Severus?" She said warningly. "That she's not good enough for your little Slytherin friends? I thought they accepted _half-bloods_." She said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Snape let out a quiet groan. "No, that's not what I meant, Lily." He drawled with a frustrated sigh. "I merely meant that they both might be in danger if the word got out." He finally said, moving his eyes back to his homework.

Lily gaped at him and was about to argue but she was suddenly uncertain. She knew that some of the Slytherins had done some nasty things during her schoolyears, and she had heard even worse rumours regarding some of those who had already left Hogwarts. _What if he was right?_

* * *

Hermione was staring at some large Charms related tomes when she felt tentative hands sliding against her waist. Regulus pressed his forehead on her shoulder and breathed deeply through his nose.

"Are you smelling me?" She whispered incredulously.

"Yeah."

Hermione snorted. "Okay…Well…What do I smell like?" She asked quietly, her heart beating faster as she felt her skin warming under his fingers. Fingers which were now tracing patterns against her waist.

He took another deep breath through his nose and hummed in satisfaction. "Intoxicating," He murmured, tilting his head to kiss her neck, and simultaneously moving his hands down to caress her hips.

Hermione gave a lustful sigh and leaned her back to his chest, drawing a muffled groan from him as he traced his open mouth down the side of her neck, stopping to suck and nip her tender skin. One of her hands lifted to grasp his neck for support and the other one sneaked to rest against his thigh, her fingers spread.

"Circe," He said abruptly, taking a step back and eyeing suspiciously around them. Hermione turned around, feeling flustered.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...Not in here." He whispered, seeming to be barely restraining himself from snogging her into a stupor. "Okay?" He added, with more hesitation.

"Yes…of course," Hermione muttered, slightly embarrassed of her wantonness and looked away.

He came closer and lifted her chin up with his fingers. "I want this. You. Merlin forbid," he said and gave her lips a chaste kiss.

Hermione smiled at him and bit back a smile as he adjusted his slacks and let out an uncomfortable whine.

* * *

 **January 28st 1978 (Saturday)**

It was their second Hogsmeade weekend, and while everyone else was at the village enjoying its attractions, Hermione and Regulus were enjoying each other's company in the Room of Requirement. They'd met there the last weekend as well, spending their day with their homework and studies, talking about the details of the Death Eater gathering in December and about Sirius.

Sirius still wasn't speaking to either one of them, but it seemed that he – and James, in extension – was over glaring and ignoring them. Sirius simply acknowledged their presence, but nothing more than that. It was a bit more difficult for Hermione, as she was friends with his friends, and they spent time as a group during their free time. Even though they weren't actually together, Hermione and Regulus had agreed to talk about their relationship with Sirius when was ready to speak to them again.

As she was finishing her schoolwork, too many thoughts lingered on the forefront of her mind, making it almost impossible to concentrate. Thoughts about Sirius, thoughts about her mission, and thoughts about her past were pushing forward, and Hermione let out an audible huff of exasperation as she thought of all the secrets she was keeping. It was getting more exhausting every day.

"What are you thinking about?" Regulus asked while he scribbled something on his parchment, not looking up.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing." She muttered and gathered her finished Herbology assignment and pushed it back into her schoolbag. She sighed, stood up and walked to look at the bookshelves. This time, they weren't in the replica of the Gryffindor common room. They were in the Library of Grimmauld Place. But it wasn't anything like she remembered.

The room was clean, airy and quite beautiful, as light came down from the tall windows that were decorated with long, heavy dark green curtains. The walls were white, at least where a wall could be seen, since there were several tall bookshelves on every wall. The room was completed with a couple of study corners and a set of armchairs and sofas in front of the fireplace. She didn't know what had happened to the room between what she now saw, and what she knew of, but she hadn't said anything as she had followed Regulus further into the room, after letting him decide where they would be spending their day.

"Are you going to include me in on your secret researches and missions?" He asked as she eyed the spine of a book that was called _Nature's Nobility: A Treasury of Myths, Legends and Facts of the Wizarding World_. Hermione took it from the shelf and started to browse through the pages as she felt him come to stand next to her.

Regulus gently took the book from her hands and turned the pages himself, eyeing them with a mild interest. "You know I know a thing or two about…whatever it is you are searching," He finally said and turned his eyes to hers, giving her a knowing look.

Hermione's eyes widened a bit with dread. _He couldn't know what exactly was she trying to find…Right?_ She knew he hadn't read her mind, as she would've felt it…No. It seemed like he merely read her that easily, without needing to use Legilimency. It was like he knew her, and all that was hidden inside her.

Regulus tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingers tracing her jawline. Hermione cleared her throat. "I will tell you, eventually." She whispered, her eyes shining with sincerity. "You just have to be patient."

"I'll try." He said, dropping the book and taking a hold of her waist. "You done already? With studying?" He asked and gave her a small smirk.

"Yes," She breathed as he leaned closer and kissed her softly.

"Good," He murmured between kisses that grew more passionate each time. His hands travelled down her back, the tips of his fingers skimming the curve of her bum as Hermione slid her hands around his neck. Regulus pushed his tongue into her mouth, tasting her softly, sweetly, and Hermione shivered at the feeling. His hands kneaded her backside while he slowly nibbled at her mouth, allowing her to catch her breath before thrusting his tongue back into her mouth.

"Reg…" Hermione whimpered as she breathed heavily, her hands threading into his hair and tugging slightly.

He merely hummed in response, while continuing his ministrations. Then his hands moved lower, against the backs of her thighs. He lifted her abruptly and carried her to the other end of the room, while kissing her mouth and sucking her lips in a very distracting way.

"Reg? Where are you going?" She managed to ask as he broke the kiss in order to open a door he had reached.

Regulus didn't answer, as he had already walked inside the room. Hisroom _. His bedroom._ Hermione knew what it was, since she had visited the place when they had been hiding at Grimmauld Place during the start of their Horcrux hunt.

"I hope it's okay?" He asked hesitantly as he gave soft kisses to the corners of her mouth.

Hermione merely let out a breathy sigh and kissed him hungrily, her fingers tangling into his black locks. He groaned softly into her mouth before he placed her down on his bed, lowering himself on top of her. As his lips started to move down her neck and lower, Hermione let her hands roam everywhere. She traced the muscles on his shoulders, brushed along the line of his spine, and up and down his sides, while his back and his stomach tightened in anticipation. Regulus's grunt was muffled against her neck as her hands moved down his stomach and reached his thighs before moving slightly back up to tug his shirt from his slacks. He pulled back to straddle her legs, pushing his shirt up and over his head. Hermione followed his example and took her own shirt off, leaving her with her bra and jeans.

She didn't miss the appreciative look Regulus gave her, his eyes filled with longing and want, before he leaned towards her again and settled on top of her as she rested her head against the pillow. And then his mouth was on her neck again, trailing little kisses down her throat on his way to her cleavage. Hermione arched to him, offering herself to him, hoping he'd keep kissing her body like he did. The warmth in her stomach drifted lower and lower until she was unconsciously grinding her hips against him, desperate for friction. Regulus groaned and thrust his hips against hers, and Hermione could feel his hard length against her core, as she shuddered from the delicious throbbing she felt at the apex of her thighs.

His hand sneaked back to unclasp her bra, and with a slight manoeuvring, he managed to get the garment off of her before he lowered his mouth onto her breast. He flicked his tongue over her nipple, making Hermione cry out by the delicious sensation. He drew the hardened peak into his mouth, sucking it in a way that made her shiver as the waves of desire floated towards her lower abdomen. He continued paying her both breasts an equal admiration before his mouth trailed lower, to her belly where he placed open mouthed kisses while his hands caressed her thighs softly.

"Reg…I…" She stammered, her hips lifting in reflex as he drew circles against her thighs with his thumbs.

Regulus's mouth skimmed against the waistline of her jeans, and he lifted his head to give her a questioning look, as if to seek permission to continue.

"Can I kiss you here, love?" He asked, his voice hoarse with need, and when Hermione managed to only nod, he unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them off swiftly.

* * *

Afterwards, Regulus gathered her into his arms, while she buried her face against his chest.

"You know…No one has ever done that to me…" She whispered after a moment.

"Yeah? Was is what you expected?" He asked quietly, pulling his comforter over them and stroking her back.

Hermione smiled against his chest. "It was amazing," She said softly, pulling back slightly to look up to him with a hesitant smile.

"Yeah, it was." He said and smiled back to her.

They were both quiet for a moment. "So…this is your room?" She asked, even though she knew the answer already. "And that was your library?"

"Yeah." He muttered as he continued to soothe her back. "Although I have a feeling that you already knew that." He said and kissed her lips as she glanced up to him, her eyes widened with surprise.

She didn't say anything to the matter, and neither did he. They stayed like that for a while, relishing the moment and enjoying each other's company before exiting the Room of Requirement and returning to two different groups of friends, to two different houses, and to separate corners of the castle.


	24. Will you be my Valentine?

**A/N:** Sooo...a longish chapter, once again. And you know, the uncensored version can be found on Ao3 ;)

Please review!

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Will you be my Valentine?**

 **February 3rd 1978 (Friday)**

The bell on the door dinged as five girls walked into the Three Broomsticks, drawing many curious eyes on them. The pub was packed; it was Friday evening. The seventh year Gryffindor girls were celebrating Lily's eighteenth birthday, and as she felt that lately, she had spent too much of her time with her boyfriend, and not enough with her friends, she had proposed they'd have a girls' night.

Mary and Marlene had persuaded her to spend the night out instead of hanging in their dorm, and after Lily had caved in, she had used her reliability and good manners to get permission from McGonagall so that the girls could go to the village.

As they walked further into the pub, Lily, Alice and Hermione managed to find them a table in the midst of people, while Mary and Marlene went to the bar to buy them drinks. Based on the looks in their eyes, Hermione could only presume there would be some strong liquids included in their order.

Hermione sat down next to Alice and glanced around the pub. Every seat was taken, and the bar was full too. She recognised a couple of Hogwarts students sitting in one corner, likely without permission to be there since they kept glancing cautiously around them every now and then. On the other side she saw a group of young men, old enough to be out of school, toasting together and laughing with each other. Then there was a selection of older wizards and witches scattered around the pub, as well as another group of young men.

Mary and Marlene came back with a tray heavy with drinks. They brought five shots of Firewhiskey, a bottle of Butterbeer for each, and a large Pumpkintini for the birthday girl. After toasting to Lily, who first eyed the drinks with her lips pursed but with a subtle smile before eventually snatching a Butterbeer, the girls went through the usual Hogwarts gossip.

A while after, Hermione and Lily set out to acquire their second round of drinks, while Marlene took a quick visit to the toilet and Mary and Alice stayed at their table.

"So. Is there something going on between you and Prewett?" Lily asked bluntly as they waited for their turn at the crowded bar.

Hermione whirled to look at her friend and then around them, making sure no one had heard her. "Lily! Someone could hear you," Hermione hissed to her friend, who rolled her eyes.

"Like anyone would hear anything spoken in a normal voice in here," She muttered, glancing at the loudly chattering people around the pub. "Well? Are you going to tell me? Or should I ask him?" She said, her expression turning to slightly mischievous as she glanced at the other end of the counter. Hermione's eyes followed her gaze and her brows lifted in mild surprise as she saw Gideon there, supposedly with his friends as he kept talking and laughing with the group beside him.

"No, you shouldn't." Hermione said warningly as Lily chuckled at her.

"Take a chill pill, Hermione." Lily said, waving her hand a bit sluggishly.

Hermione actually snorted. "Lils? Are you drunk?" She asked while biting her lip to suppress a grin.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm not. I'm the Head Girl, Hermione. It is my responsibility to make sure all of you get safely back to the castle after having your knees up in here." She said simply, and Hermione shook her head with amusement.

"What about Regulus?" Lily asked after they both had been silent for a moment.

Hermione turned to look at her friend who eyed her with a knowing look. "I know you've been seeing him, Mione." Lily said with a serious tone, and Hermione's brows lifted in surprise.

"Oh…" Hermione managed to say.

Lily gave her a stern look and sighed. "I'm worried about you," She finally said.

"What? Why?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Well…Even if they are supposedly the good ones, that doesn't mean their friends are. I just don't want you to get hurt." She said with a troubled look, and Hermione didn't have to guess who was the other Slytherin her friend was talking about.

"He wouldn't let them hurt me," Hermione said reassuringly, but she knew she couldn't put Regulus into a place where he would have to choose between her and them, especially when he had to remain a spy for the Order. That was the reason they had decided to only meet in the Room of Requirement.

"As for his so-called friends…I know what they are. And I know what is expected from him," Hermione said, chewing the inside of her cheek.

Lily's eyes widened. "And you're okay with it?" She asked with an alarmed voice.

"Of course not!" Hermione quietly exclaimed.

"Then what? I don't understand, Hermione. Even if he says he doesn't want it, how can you be sure?" Lily asked and shook her head in confusion.

Hermione knew Lily still doubted Snape. She let out a soft sigh. "Come on," She said, tugging Lily's hand and moving towards the toilets. The redhead followed without a word, as Hermione led them behind a door.

Lily lifted her brows in suspicion as Hermione took her wand and began to wave it around them in intricate patterns. Lily's eyes widened as she realised which spells her friend was casting.

"Did you just – "

"Shush!"

Lily rolled her eyes in mild annoyance but said nothing. When Hermione was ready, she opened her mouth.

"Why did you just put protection spells around us?" Lily asked warily.

Hermione sighed. "It's merely a precaution. I'm not telling you anything when there is a risk of being overheard," She said with a frown.

"Oh."

"I'm in the Order." Hermione said with a serious face.

Lily's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in surprise. "W-what?"

"Your heard me. Gideon is too. There's nothing going on between us, except the fact that we are friends." She explained, as Lily continued to gape at her.

"About Reg…" Hermione muttered. "I don't know what to say. Only that…I trust him." Hermione said softly.

"Do you love him?" Lily asked carefully.

Hermione blinked at the blunt question and thought about her tangled feelings. What she had with Regulus, was something so unexpected, so intense, and so…enticing. She hadn't felt like that with anyone, not even Sirius. And then there was Sirius…whom she still harboured some kind of feelings. Not love, no. But…something. How could she love Regulus if there was still a tiny part of her that felt something for his brother?

She looked at her friend helplessly and shrugged. "I don't know. It's complicated."

Lily smiled at her friend and chuckled. "What about you is not?"

Hermione joined her laughter and let out a deep breath as Lily enveloped her into a hug, promising to keep the information regarding the Order to herself.

They returned to their friends and stayed at the pub for a while before they had to leave in order to make it back to the castle before midnight.

"Sorry to pull you from your flavour of the week, Marley," Mary said teasingly as they were walking towards the castle. "But the rest of us need their beauty sleep."

Marlene rolled her eyes at her friend. She had hooked up with some random guy, a couple of years older than them. He and Marlene had hit it off pretty quickly, and right before the girls had left, Mary had come across them at the restroom, where they had been entangled with each other in an unlocked booth, their clothes askew and some of them missing. While Marlene had told her friend to bugger off, Mary had merely smirked at the couple and told Marlene they'd be leaving in five.

* * *

As the girls were enjoying their night out in the village, the boys were playing a drinking game in their dorm. They were simultaneously planning their next prank, after Sirius had insisted that all great minds thought properly after a drink.

"You're up Moony," James quipped as he took a long swig from the Firewhiskey bottle.

Remus cleared his throat and seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Okay. Drunk or a kid? I, um…pissed into a trash bag instead of using the toilet in my own house."

Sirius barked a laugh and James and Peter chuckled, while Remus gave his friends a noncommittal shrug.

"Kid," James and Peter said in unison.

"Boring. I'll go with drunk." Sirius grinned.

"Well, it was after my cousins wedding. Which was last summer, and I was indeed quite pissed at the time." Remus said and chuckled as Sirius hit his fist in the air for triumph, while James and Peter took swigs from the bottle.

"Okay, mate. Your turn," Remus said to Sirius.

Sirius smirked at his friends. "True or false? Shagged a Hufflepuff on her house table one time."

James snorted. "In the Great Hall?"

Sirius merely waggled his brows.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You were supposed to ask us if you were drunk or kid. But I'll go with false. You would've gloated about it and we'd never heard the end of it."

James eyes him thoughtfully. "I dunno Moony. He just might be that smug to reveal it like this," he said and laughed. "I'll go with true."

"Me too," Peter quipped.

"Gents. I'm afraid it is…True." Sirius finally said with a self-satisfied look. Remus shook his head in disbelief and took a swig from the bottle.

"How in the Merlin's saggy balls didn't you get caught?" Remus asked incredulously from his friend, who gave an innocent shrug in reply.

"Okay. True or False? A bird from Ravenclaw flashed me." Peter said with a straight face.

"True." All boys said in unison.

Peter grinned. "Yeah, true. It was during the Halloween ball."

James smirked at him. "Was she hot?"

"Yeah, but…she was weird." Peter said with a frown.

"Hot trumps weird," Sirius said and winked at Peter. James and Remus nodded in agreement.

They all sniggered.

"Are we pranking only the Slytherins this time, or the entire school?" Peter asked after another round of their drinking game.

Sirius eyed his friends slyly. "I reckon the Slytherins deserve some attention, eh?"

James cracked a smile. "Okay, will do..."

"What if we transfigure their hair red?" Peter asked after a moment of silence.

"Too easy. And we did it in fifth year with the Colovaria Charm, remember Pete?" Remus said absently, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Sirius laughed before he became solemn. "Mates. I think it's time for us to trespass their dorms."

James eyed him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What are you thinking, Pads?"

"Have you two gone raving bonkers?" Remus said in bewilderment. When the two wizards merely shrugged at him, he continued, "I think it's a bad idea."

"Moony, my friend." Sirius said with a sigh and eyed him like he was going to talk to him with simple words. "There's no such thing as a bad idea, just poorly executed brilliant ones." He said and winked at the werewolf.

Remus narrowed his eyes as Sirius filled four shot glasses with Firewhiskey.

"I say we toast to the amazing idea, provided by yours truly," He smirked, gesturing the others to take their shots. James and Peter took their glasses while Remus eyed Sirius with an arched brow.

"C'mon, Moony, I can't drink all this by myself. I mean, I can…But if I do, somebody's getting naked." He grinned wolfishly as he gulped down the shot. James shook his head in amusement and he, Peter and eventually Remus followed suit.

The night went on as they planned their break-in into the Slytherin dorms, while continuing their drinking game until they all were on their way to be properly inebriated.

* * *

 **February 5th 1978 (Sunday)**

"Hey. Can I sit with you?" Remus asked, looking slightly uncomfortable as he gestured the empty seat opposite to Hermione. She had come to the library after lunch, when James and Sirius had left for their Quidditch practice with Peter, Lily, Mary and Alice accompanying them, intending to watch the practice.

Hermione lifted her gaze from the book about wizarding history she was reading and smiled kindly to him. "Sure." She said with a nod.

Remus smiled back and sat down after going through his schoolbag and placing his books and parchments on the table. He studied her features as she turned her eyes back to the book she was holding.

"Hermione…" He said quietly, eyeing her carefully.

She turned to look at him, and frowned at his expression. "Yeah? Is everything okay, Remus?"

He huffed. "It's just that…I'm sorry." He said sincerely. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend to you, lately." He said anxiously.

"Remus, it's – "

"No, let me finish." He said and smiled at her. "I made a decision not to choose any sides when you and Sirius broke up. Because even though I've known him for several years now, and he is like a brother to me, I still think of you as my friend. And then I chose him anyway." He said and sighed. "Can you forgive me?"

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Of course. And I don't blame you. I know you are very close with Sirius and the others, and I didn't want to interfere with that. And I know you've been busy with your new _girlfriend_ as well," She said, smiling slyly at the one particular word while Remus blushed a bit and nodded.

"How are you?" She asked as she closed the book and put it into her bag. "How are things with Mary?" She smiled. "I mean I've heard some rumours, but I'd like to hear your thoughts," She said and sniggered as Remus shook his head in embarrassment.

"Well…Everything is good, I guess. She's a lovely witch," He said shyly.

"And have you told her about…you-know-what?" She asked in a lowered voice.

He shook his head.

"How has that been going? _The transformations_?" She whispered the last word.

He shrugged. "Okay I guess." He muttered and shifted his gaze to his books.

"Remus…You can talk to me about it. If it's horrible. If you're upset. You can trust me. You know that." She said sincerely.

He looked at her and sighed. "I know, Hermione. It's just that…I haven't really talked with anyone about how it makes me feel, besides you." He muttered. "The guys know, but it's not like I pour my heart out to them." He said with a faint smirk.

Hermione nodded and waited for him to speak.

"I hate it. You know. The wolf." He said quietly. She could see vulnerability shining from his eyes. "It makes me weak, and it changes me, even when it's not full moon." He said exasperatedly. "And sometimes I'm afraid of myself, of how angry and uncontrollable it makes me."

Hermione gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry Remus. It must be terrible..." She said with a frown. She remembered again that she had decided to look into the Wolfsbane potion she knew the future Remus took, but had completely forgotten about it. At that moment, she decided to do better.

"On the bright side, I reckon Mary doesn't object…the uncontrollableness." She said with a teasing grin.

Remus paled. "She told you about it?" He asked weakly.

Hermione chuckled. "Oh, yes, she did. She described that you were quite…physical." she said through her laughter.

He groaned and laid his head against his arms which were folded over the table. "It was an oversight on my part. Engaging in anything so close to the full moon." He mumbled with a muffled voice.

"You don't have to explain, I'm not judging you, you know," Hermione said, and continued to laugh heartily.

When the girls had been in the village to celebrate Lily's birthday, they had gotten Mary to fess up details about her and Remus's relationship.

He eventually lifted his head to look at her. "And you?" He asked with a frown. "How are you doing?"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm okay, I think. It's easier now, when Sirius and James are not complete arseholes towards me," She said with a dry laugh. She gave another shrug.

"Do you miss him?" Remus asked carefully.

"Sirius? …Yes, I suppose…But it's not like I'm waiting for him to come around or anything…" She said and frowned. _And then there was Regulus…_ Remus nodded understandingly.

She decided to change the subject, as she really didn't care to talk about her feelings towards Sirius. "So…what are you going to do after graduation?" She asked. She briefly wondered what Remus had actually done in her past, after his schoolyears, as she was quite sure it had never come up.

He gave her a mirthless laugh. "Now that you know what I am, you probably know that I don't have any grand future career plans prepared for myself?"

"Well, what would you want to do? If you could?" She asked kindly.

He was thoughtful for a while. "Dunno…perhaps…writing?" He said cringing. Hermione lifted her brows in surprise.

"What would you write?" She asked, intrigued.

He eyed her hesitantly. "Poetry," he said quietly.

"Okay. So…Why don't you do it?" She asked.

"Well, it doesn't bring me any galleons, and I don't know if I'm good enough to, you know, make a living with it." He said with a shrug.

"Have you thought about university? You know, to study English?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

He grimaced. "With what money?" He said and shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not an option for me, Hermione."

"What about you?" He asked after a moment.

"What about me?" She asked. "Have I thought about studying at a university?"

"No. Well, that too, but you know, what do you want to do after you graduate?" He asked curiously.

Hermione frowned. She hadn't really given it much thought because her focus had been directed on more important things. "I don't know." She said and bit her lip. "I guess I used to think that I wanted to work at the Ministry in the Magical law department," She said, and quickly added, "You know, in Australia."

"But…I don't know anymore." Hermione continued thoughtfully. _Perhaps it was time to look into that as well…_

They continued their talk for a while until they started their Transfiguration assignments, sharing comments while they worked.

* * *

 **February 11th 1978 (Saturday)**

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of February, and Lily had asked Hermione to walk with her to the village, as there was something she wanted to talk about with her. They left a bit later than everyone else, and walked slowly along the path towards the village. The sky was heavy with falling snow, and the trees and the ground were already covered with several inches of glistening snow. Hermione blinked at the sight ahead of her, remembering all the times she had come to the village with Harry and Ron, engaging into a snowball fight, or running to the Three Broomsticks for a hot cup of tea.

"Hermione…About what you said last week…About, you know. _The Order,_ " Lily started hesitantly, whispering the last words after glancing around them to be sure no one was close.

Hermione turned to look at her. "Yes. What do you want to know?" She asked, eyeing her friend closely.

Lily's brows lifted in surprise.

"What?" Hermione asked with a hint of amusement.

"Oh…Well. I suppose I thought you weren't going to talk about it, even if I asked," She replied with a shrug.

Hermione smiled. "Although I can't get into much detail, there are _some_ things I can share with you." She said and eyed her friend expectantly.

Lily nodded and looked thoughtful. "Why are you a part of it? I mean, you are a student…Shouldn't you focus on your education first, before rushing into danger?" She asked, her voice laced with worry.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not really participating in any danger, just…you know, mostly doing some research for them." That wasn't exactly the truth, but she knew Lily wouldn't let it go if she knew the truth and the dangers she would have to face. Not to mention the dangers she had already been through. Hermione took a deep breath before she continued, "The reason I'm with them, is that…" She worried her lip. She wanted to tell Lily the truth. Or some parts of it at least.

"I'm a Muggleborn," Hermione said quietly. Lily stopped dead in her tracks, and whirled towards her, staring at her in shock.

"I-I'm sorry, _what_?!" Lily shrieked.

Hermione shot her friend a stern look and glanced around them. They hadn't yet reached the village, and no one was around. Still, she didn't exactly want her secrets to be cried out for anyone who was listening to hear.

Lily stared at her with a stubborn look edged on her face.

"I'm sorry I haven't told you, Lils," Hermione said sheepishly. "But…Ab adopted me." She gave a helpless shrug. "I was attacked by a bunch of Death Eaters, here in Britain. I managed to escape but I lost everyone I knew. My family. My friends," She said, clenching her jaw and trying not to think of the circumstances from where she left. "Dumbledore helped me when I had no one, and he arranged for his brother to take me in…" she continued with a shaky voice.

Lily gaped at her, her eyes filling up with tears. "Godric," She finally whispered, looking horrified. "Hermione, I'm…I'm so sorry!" She squeaked and threw her arms around her friend, enveloping Hermione in a crushing hug, sniffling against her.

"Can you forgive me?" Hermione whispered to her ear, not really surprised by Lily's emotional reaction.

"W-What? Of course! Oh, Mione…I'm just so…shocked! I'm so sorry! It must've been terrible…I wish I'd known sooner…" Lily babbled, tears escaping from the corners of her eyes.

They hugged each other for a while, until they broke off and slowly continued their walk towards the village.

"What…What if they come back? You know, the ones who attacked you…" Lily said and gave her friend a troubled look.

Hermione frowned. "I, um…I'm safe at Hogwarts. I have Dumbledore. And Ab." She said and gave Lily a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Lils." _Oh gods how she hated lying…_

Lily nodded but Hermione could see she wasn't entirely convinced. They had finally reached the village and Hermione decided to change the subject as they begun visiting the shops.

* * *

 **February 13th 1978 (Monday)**

"This is fucking insane," Remus muttered as they stared at the spot in the dungeons they knew was the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Oh Moony, ever the poet," Sirius smirked next to him. They were waiting in an alcove while Peter had gone in to check if the Slytherin Dungeon was empty. They had agreed it was safer to make sure, even though the Map clearly showed no one was inside.

"Yeah, Moony, relax," James said with an amused voice, staring at the entrance intently. "Nothing bad is going to happen. We have the Map, and we'll know if someone comes to this direction. _And_ we've sent Pete to double check that the Dungeons are empty."

Remus sighed. "Even so…I don't like this. And if they figure out it was us, they'll make us pay for it."

James snorted. "Oh, they'll know alright." He said and shared a devilish grin with Sirius.

"Guys…What are you not telling me?" Remus asked warningly, narrowing his eyes at his friends. "You know I hate it when you don't tell me stuff."

Sirius and James sniggered. "Just that…We intend leaving a little message on their common room wall for them." Sirius explained with a wicked grin.

Remus grumbled. "I don't even want to know how you managed to come up with an idea that stupid."

"Well, it came to me in a dream. I was naked. You would've loved it, Moony," Sirius said and winked at Remus while James snorted.

Remus rolled his eyes at his friends and finally they saw a familiar rat scurrying out from a hole in the wall, approaching them. Peter transformed back after James threw the invisibility cloak over him.

"It's empty! I did the Homenum Revelio charm; they must all be at dinner." Peter whispered urgently under the cloak. The boys grinned mischievously and disillusioned themselves before stepping out from the shadows.

"Shall we?" James asked with glee in his voice.

Sirius chuckled. "We shall."

* * *

 **February 14th 1978 (Tuesday)**

It was Valentine's Day and Hermione was having breakfast in the Great Hall with her housemates. At the end of their meal, the owls flew into the hall, carrying an assortment of envelopes, boxes and packages. Everyone in their table received letters, cards and small rectangular boxes, most of which were pink or red. Hermione glanced at Sirius, who was quickly going through the dozens of letters and boxes the owls had dropped in front of him on the table. He pushed the boxes of chocolate to Remus, who graciously accepted them, and after opening some of the letters he stuffed them into his schoolbag and finished his breakfast.

 _Of course, he would receive that many Valentine's greetings_. _He was the most popular boy in the school after all…_ Hermione thought and rolled her eyes before moving her eyes back to her plate.

There were three letters, and she opened the first one with interest. It was from Lily. Hermione chuckled at the note, which said ' _Sod the February 14th. I love you every day. – Lily_ '.

The next one was from Remus, and he had attached a poem in it. It was very good, from what she understood of poetry and was a bit moved by the gesture.

The last one had a Latin phrase written in it.

 _'Notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit, tempore crevit amor'_

She smiled at the text, which was from _Ovid's Metamorphoses_ , and was translated as following;

 _Proximity caused acquaintance and first approaches, love grew with time._

The story described Pyramus and Thisbe, a pair of lovers who occupy connected houses, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents' rivalry. Through a crack in one of the walls, they whisper their love for each other, and later on arrange to meet and state their feelings for each other. They never end up meeting each other though, and in the end, they die by their own hand.

She smiled at the near parallels of their secret affair and snuck a glance at the Slytherin table. Regulus was there, staring at her with a subtle quirk on his lips. Hermione couldn't help but smile at him widely when she saw him supressing a grin and schooling his features to neutral.

"You coming to Professor Slughorn's Valentine's day get-together, Hermione?" Lily asked, her eyes narrowing at her friend.

Hermione quickly teared her eyes away from Regulus and smiled at her friend sheepishly. "Um, sorry, what?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Slughorn. Valentine's party. Friday." she said with an exasperated tone. Their friends around them turned to listen to the conversation.

Hermione groaned. "I guess I have to…" She grumbled.

Mary chuckled. "I can't be that bad, Mione…" She said, sounding amused before she exchanged a sly smile with Alice.

 _Oh, they knew exactly how bad it was._

"Last time Slughorn made me sing Christmas carols. In front of everyone." Hermione growled, narrowing her eyes at the girls, Remus and Peter who were all sniggering. Even James snorted and she could also see a faint smirk tugging Sirius's lips.

 _Oh, jolly, how everyone found her embarrassment hilarious…_

Lily tried to school her expression. "I admit it was quite funny, but I'm sure it was a one-off. He _was_ rather out of his tree then…" She said with a small grimace.

Sirius laughed. "Old Sluggie properly sozzled? That's something I'd like to witness."

Lily pursed her lips to him. "Well, if it is an occurring event, you can ask James to describe it to you. He's coming with me."

"I am?" James asked in bewilderment.

Lily scowled at him. "You can't be serious. We talked about this last month!"

James smirked at her, evidently thinking of a witty remark for her choice of words. "Well, I'm actually J– "

"Shut it, James!" Lily warned him. Everyone around them either grinned or tried not to.

* * *

During their lessons and mealtimes that day, Hermione and the others couldn't help but notice how nearly every Slytherin was either yawning and dozing off, or bitterly glaring at the Gryffindors. When Hermione pointed it out to Mary during their dinner, her friend chuckled back.

" _Some people we know_ broke into their quarters yesterday, and spelled their dorm doors to open only when one would utter a password." Mary said amusedly.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she glanced at the sniggering Marauders who had their eyes trained at the Slytherin table. "Could they be any more obvious?" Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

"Oh, the Slytherins know it was them. They wrote the password on their common room wall. It's just that…no one will use it." Mary explained with laughter in her voice.

Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh?"

"And because of that, every single student slept on their common room floor last night." James said with a bright grin as he heard their conversation.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing. Hermione guessed they'd had a conversation or two about it already.

"And how long is that spell in place?" Hermione asked curiously from James. Sirius and James had identical smirks on their faces.

"As long as it takes for someone to admit they love Gryffindor…or when they go to old Sluggie and admit they were bested by one," James said innocently, and the boys shared a laugh.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief and returned to her meal. When she was finished, she excused herself while the others stayed in the Great Hall. She walked to the seventh floor, and after making sure that no one saw her by checking the Map, she entered through the door that had appeared in front of her. She knew Regulus was already inside, since she hadn't seen him at dinner.

They had discovered that if the room was given the correct description, they could enter the same place even though one of them was already inside.

"Hey," Hermione said softly as she walked through the library of Grimmauld Place, towards the sofa where Regulus was stretched on.

"Didn't catch any sleep last night?" Hermione asked with slight amusement in her voice as she approached him.

He merely groaned in response. His eyes were closed and he moved his legs when she nudged him to move over.

"Bloody Gryffindors." He muttered, yawning as he rose to lean on his elbows and smirked at her. "No offence."

Hermione chuckled. "None taken. Although, I'm surprised you didn't come here to sleep last night." She said thoughtfully.

He shrugged. "Thought it would've been a bit suspicious if I'd left in the middle of the night to wander through the halls."

"Fair enough." She said with a smile. "Thank you for the Valentine's Day note," She said quietly, a small blush rising to her cheeks.

A smile tugged his lips. "I'm glad you liked it." Regulus said, his eyes dark as he gave her a once over. Hermione tried to remember to breathe, as his mere stare made her heart flutter in her chest.

"Come here." He muttered, taking her hand and tugging her towards him. She complied, eagerly, laying herself on top of him, as he studied her features and traced his fingers against her jawline.

Regulus's hand slid around to her nape, his fingers caressing the skin under her hairline, making her shiver in anticipation. He then pulled her down to meet his lips, and as he kissed her softly, his fingers moved into her soft ringlets, holding her in place so he could devour her mouth in the pace he desired.

Hermione let her hand slip under his shirt, making contact with bare skin, while the other gripped his shoulder for support. She felt his muscles tighten under her hand as she explored his chest and abdomen, drifting slowly lower, nearing the waistband of his slacks as he leisurely continued caressing her mouth with his lips. As the tips of her fingers slipped under the waistband, she felt him shudder and breathe heavily into her mouth. She deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue between his lips and drawing a groan from his mouth while her fingers edged further inside his slacks. With a loud gasp, he stilled her hand with his and broke their kiss. They both breathed heavily, their eyes hooded with desire.

"As much as I'd love to continue this, love, I'm afraid I'd fall asleep before I'd leave you sated." Regulus said, raising up to give a chaste kiss on her lips and resting back against the cushion, soothing his hands on her back and eyeing her sleepily.

Hermione blushed slightly at her wantonness. "What if we just slept?" She asked with a small smile as he kept caressing her.

He hummed in agreement, squeezing her tight against him as she lay her head upon his chest. They stayed in place for some time, and eventually Hermione stood up to let him sleep in peace while she wandered around in the library.

She eventually grabbed the book she had browsed the other week, about magical objects in wizarding history, and sat in an armchair next to Regulus, who was now sleeping soundly, curled her legs under her and let herself be absorbed in the book.

* * *

 **February 17th 1978 (Friday)**

"Well, this isn't that bad, is it?" Lily asked as she came to stand next to Hermione in the corner. They were in Professor Slughorn's office, which was evidently enlarged with an extension charm, at a Valentine's party hosted by Professor Slughorn for his selected students and their dates, as well as some of his associates and former Slug Club members.

Hermione cringed. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," She said as she saw Slughorn eye around him in order to introduce one of his club members to Tiberius Ogden, a member of the Wizengamot. She let out a sigh of relief when Slughorn managed to catch Regulus for the purpose, and supressed a smile when she saw the young Slytherin greet the older man rather stiffly. It wasn't that their Professor's intentions were bad in any way, because his students could derive a benefit from the connections they made at his parties, but since Hermione tried to avoid any attention, she was glad that Slughorn was focusing on someone else. Also, she hadn't still quite recovered from the last party, where she had been at the centre of his attention for the most part of the night.

Lily huffed as she saw James gulp down a glass of Firewhiskey. "He's had far too many of those. I already had to stop him from advancing Severus. Who knows what he'll do next…" She grumbled next to Hermione, her eyes narrowed at her boyfriend who was busy filling his glass at the drinks table.

"How did he take it, by the way?" Hermione asked, her eyes still glued on Regulus. He gave her subtle but heated glances at her every now and then, and she felt her pulse quicken.

Luckily Lily didn't notice. "Take what?"

Hermione cleared her throat and turned to Lily. "That you're friends with Snape?" She asked pointedly.

Lily blushed. "I'm not _friends_ with him. We only met once in the library, where you and your… _boytoy_ left us to survive by ourselves. You know, when you went to make out with him behind the bookshelves," She said with a knowing smirk.

It was Hermione's time to blush.

"No, James doesn't know. But if I will see Sev again, or spend time with him, I will tell James." Lily said simply. "Now…if you would excuse me, I have to go restrain my boyfriend before he's completely inebriated and makes an arse of himself," Lily said tightly and strolled towards James with a stern look in her eyes.

Hermione was about to make her way towards the drinks table to fill her goblet with elderflower wine, but just as she was walking across the room, she heard Slughorn hiccupping happily from the other side of the room and wondering loudly 'where the young Miss Dumbledore had run off'. With a wince, she quickly slipped behind the emerald green and golden drapes that hung from the ceiling, creating small alcoves or private nooks in the corners. She peeked through the curtains, and to her relief, their Professor had found another student to present to his guests.

"Should I announce that you're hiding back here?" A voice murmured behind her.

She jolted with surprise and turned around. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She hissed, but her expression softened when Regulus pulled her against him, eyeing her with hunger.

Her insides clenched deliciously as his fingers traced her hips. Regulus leaned in to close his mouth over hers in a heated kiss. She sighed into his mouth, and his fingers rubbed her waist, her hips, and continued to knead her bum. There was something barely contained in his touch, as if any minute he might somehow lose control of himself. His kisses were gentle and soft, but hard and demanding at the same time. Hermione thought briefly that she could very easily get lost in him.

"Circe…" He gasped, breaking their kiss and moving his lips against her neck. "I want you…I want you so fucking much…" He whispered, his breath hitting her neck in warm puffs.

Hermione squirmed at his words and rolled her hips against him, drawing out a strained groan from his mouth. Safe to say the feeling was mutual.

"I want you too," She whispered, her one hand tangled in his hair, and the other slowly making its way downwards, towards the bulging in his slacks. The party was in a full swing behind them, and occasionally they could hear a burst of laughter, or clinking of goblets.

"Ah…" Regulus breathed as her fingers gently squeezed his hardness. He nipped her neck, and Hermione let out an embarrassingly loud whimper.

She quickly broke off their embrace, blushing furiously. "W-We're in the middle of a party," She stammered, shocked by her own behaviour.

Regulus smirked, his cheeks flushed and his eyes dark. "So it seems."

Hermione huffed. "Don't look at me like that," She said breathlessly. His gaze was so intense, so filled with need, that she wanted nothing more than to undress him and jump on him.

"Like what?" He asked innocently and took a step closer. His lips pressed against hers as his fingers brushed her breasts. Hermione arched into him, letting out a breathy sigh.

"Let's go somewhere…okay?" She whispered against his neck as his hands continued palming her breasts.

"Where?" He asked hoarsely.

"Your library…Your bedroom…" She breathed, biting her lip in hesitation.

Regulus pulled her slightly away from him and stared into her eyes. "You sure?" He asked with a careful look.

Hermione nodded.

"Okay then. Let's get the fuck out of here," He said harshly and pulled her with him.

Hermione stopped in her tracks. "Wait! We can't just leave, everyone will see! And if someone sees us wandering through the halls, we're probably going to receive detention!" She hissed to him.

She took her beaded bag and rifled through it for a moment. Regulus stared at her with interest but said nothing as she pulled a silky material from it.

"What is it?"

"Something you're going to forget you ever saw," She said and gave him a stern look.

His mouth curved up. "Okay."

She threw the invisibility cloak over them and they made their way towards the seventh floor.

* * *

After entering the room, which was morphed into the Grimmauld Place library, Hermione stood next to Regulus, feeling nervous as she didn't quite know how to proceed now.

"Hermione…" Regulus muttered quietly while his eyes looked at her searchingly, hungrily. He took her hand and tugged her closer to him.

She placed her palms flat against his chest as his hands slid over her hips.

Regulus leaned forward and pressed his lips against her mouth, parting them with his tongue, tasting her. Hermione let out a breathy sigh as his hands moved to pull up the hem of her dress and caress the backs of her thighs, his fingers skimming over her knickers. He pressed her closer to him, and Hermione could feel him hard against her hip. He groaned as he involuntarily thrusted against her, earning a gasp from her lips before she slid her fingers up his chest, around his neck and through his silky black locks. Hermione curled her fingers around his hair, fisting it when he squeezed her bum, and drawing out a low groan from his mouth.

He kissed her harder, each sweep of his tongue and touch of his lips with a growing desire. His hands came to her front, reaching under the hem of her dress. His knuckles grazed over the bare skin of her belly and his fingers tickled their way up. Hermione shivered at his touch, moaned when he cupped her breasts and caressed them through her bra. Then he pulled her dress off with a swift move and opened her bra while he leaned in to suck her bottom lip, occasionally sweeping his tongue against hers. She was breathless, her head was spinning, and she tried to hold on as he slowly but surely made her skin sing and her heart race.

Regulus broke the kiss and slowly stripped her loosely hanging bra off. He sucked in a breath as his gaze dropped on her breasts, his mouth curving a bit. Hermione blushed under his gaze and swallowed deeply before she reached for his shirt. He gave her a quick smile before he hastily rid himself off from his clothes. She didn't have time to admire his naked body before he dropped his head on her chest and closed his lips around her aching nipple while plucking and pinching the other one with his fingers. With each flick of his tongue or a brush of his fingers on her breasts, she felt herself wound tighter, and the heat pool low in her belly, making her shake with need.

"Oh gods…" She moaned with a breathy voice.

He hummed against her breasts, lowering his other hand between her thighs. She instinctively spread her legs for him, giving him access. As he slowly caressed her thighs and her core through her knickers, he lifted his mouth up to hover against hers, his eyes hooded with need, his lips swollen from kissing her.

"Make love to me." She whispered against his mouth, summoning all the courage she had in her.

He gave a yearning sigh. "Are you sure?" He murmured, his eyes examining hers.

"Yes." She breathed. "More sure than I have ever been."

* * *

 **February 18th 1978 (Saturday)**

Hermione woke up the next morning, stretching her body and feeling a slight soreness in the junction of her thighs. Other than that, she felt quite sated, like something was fulfilled. Someone was embracing her from her back, and a delicious feeling was starting to grow under her waist as the hands that were wound around her started leisurely caressing her, the fingertips skimming the nest of curls below her belly. Images from last night began to flood into her mind. Her eyes slammed open as she heard Regulus let out a small groan against her neck.

"Reg?" She asked anxiously.

"Mmmhmm?" He voiced against her, his hands dipping lower against her naked body.

"Regulus!"

"Yes, love?" He mumbled with a sleepy voice. She could feel him hard against her bum. A delightful shiver ran through her, but she shook the feeling off quickly.

"It's morning. We've slept through the night," She said impatiently as she took his hands in hers, stopping his ministrations.

"W-what?" He mumbled. "Fuck." He said with a clearer voice, prodding himself quickly up with one arm and looking down at her with a startled look.

She turned on her back to look back at him, chewing her lip with worry. "Where's my wand?" She muttered and searched it with her gaze around the room. She spotted it on the nightstand and grabbed it, quickly casting the tempus spell.

"Godric…It's eight in the morning!" She winced. "…Everyone will notice I haven't slept in my bed." She said with a slight panic in her voice, looking back at Regulus helplessly. "What will we do?" She cried in panic.

He smiled and looked at Hermione with his eyes sleepy and his hair tousled. Hermione couldn't help but think how incredibly adorable he looked right in that moment.

"Calm down, love. Let's just go to breakfast, yeah?" He said and tucked a curl behind her ear. When she didn't give any signs of relaxing, he continued. "Just go to the Great Hall and tell your friends that you stopped by the library on your way back from Slughorn's party and accidentally fell asleep in there," He said with a shrug. "I mean…It's almost the truth," He said and smirked as he looked back to the Grimmauld Place library from the open door of his bedroom.

"We can't just go there together," She said incredulously, looking at him like he was out of his mind.

"We're not. I'll go after you." He smiled and leaned to kiss her mouth.

* * *

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Hermione walked down from the Gryffindor Tower, and into the Great Hall. The room was filled with delicious smells of breakfast, and the cheerful chatter of students who were waiting eagerly for the upcoming Quidditch match was blaring throughout the large room. Hermione slipped into an empty seat, trying to be subtle and sit as far away from Sirius and Remus as possible, as she knew they'd probably smell the last night's activities on her right away, regardless that she had showered and changed clothes. _Bloody heightened sense of smell._ At least she wasn't going to take any risks.

"Where've you been, Hermione? We were really worried!" Lily said with a mix of concern and scold in her voice as she saw Hermione take a seat next to a couple of fourth year girls who were sitting near their group. "Come here, we'll make room for you," She said and gestured for the boys to move.

 _Great._ Hermione thought wryly as she stood up and took a seat between Peter and Remus. Hermione tried to keep a convincing smile on her face as she sat down and looked at everyone.

"I just woke up in the library!" She said quickly, before any of her friends had time to open their mouths, trying to sound and look embarrassed but convincing. "I left the party early yesterday and, on my way back to the tower, I just had to check something from a book in the library, so I went there and I don't know…I must've fallen asleep." She wondered aloud while the others stared at her in a mix of amusement and surprise, chuckling at her misstep.

James snickered at her from opposite to her. "You _really_ ought to learn how to take a breather every now and then, Hermione," He said and smirked at her dishevelled appearance. She hadn't had the time to wash her hair, and reckoned it probably resembled an eagle's nest. Hermione briefly narrowed her eyes at James but turned soon to look at her plate.

Remus turned sharply towards her, his nostrils flaring a bit, with an alarmed look on his face. Hermione glanced at him and grimaced inwardly. _Oh, merlin…he knows._

"Who were you with?" Remus asked nonchalantly as he poured her tea. Sirius and James watched her carefully.

"Thank you. Oh. No one. Just me." She said with a tight smile. Remus lifted his brows at her a bit, but said nothing and turned back to the conversation that had been flowing before Hermione sat with them. The boys were placing small bets on who would win today's match.

"Well, I think it's quite obvious. Hufflepuff's gonna win this time." Sirius stated beside James. "Ravenclaw's team is shite."

"Yeah, Pads, but their Seeker is faster than Hufflepuff's." Remus argued as he took another toast from the large tray. Sirius looked at Remus and contemplated the fact for a while before glancing at Hermione and frowning.

After a moment his focus was back on his friend and he shrugged. "I guess we'll see Moony," He said with a smirk.

As the boys left towards the Quidditch pitch, Hermione glanced at the Slytherin table, where Regulus was sitting. His hair and clothing were neatly fixed up, as usual, and the only telling fact, what differed from his everyday appearance, was the subtle rose on his cheeks. She could only hope no one managed to put two and two together.

* * *

"And the Quaffle is in possession of Annie Jones of Ravenclaw, and she's moving really fast towards the Hufflepuff goal posts," Jackson Abbott, a sixth year Hufflepuff and the Quidditch commentator yelled to the magical megaphone.

"Neat pass to Mark McAdams, back to Jones and – no, Hufflepuff has taken the Quaffle, Hufflepuff Chaser Jordan Barnett gains the Quaffle and off he goes – he's going to score – aaand HUFFLEPUFF SCORES!"

Hufflepuff cheers filled the cold February air, along with the booing sounds made by the Ravenclaw supporters.

Hermione sat with her housemates on one of the Quidditch stands with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter on the front row, and the girls behind them on the second row. Lily glanced at her direction every now and then more than once from the corner of her eye, but said nothing. When the redhead looked at her for what must have been the fifth time, Hermione rolled her eyes and turned towards her.

"What is it, Lils?" She asked quietly. Hermione sat next to the aisle, on the last seat, with only Lily beside her.

Lily arched a brow at her. "You weren't at the library, right?" She said with a knowing voice.

Hermione blushed slightly. "No. But don't tell anyone, okay?" She whispered hastily.

Lily merely smirked at her and nodded, turning her eyes ahead when James turned to look at them.

"Oi, less talking and more focusing on what's important," He quipped before he turned back to watch the game.

Hermione heaved a sigh and her gaze wandered over the stands. She spotted Regulus on the next stand, not far from them. His head was turned slightly towards her, and his eyed fixed at her. She instantly felt herself flush red as the memories from last night started to play loop in her head. He gave her a heated look and she could only guess he probably thought the same things she did.

"Ravenclaw in possession," The commentator spoke, and Hermione turned back to the game, but not before she saw Sirius's eyes settling over where she had just looked. He moved his gaze to Hermione, and eyed her – she saw revelation in his eyes.

 _Shit._ She thought as she averted her eyes from Sirius's, frowning at the pitch but not really noticing the game going on in there.

"Barnett dodges a Bludger and speeds towards the Ravenclaw goal posts,"

"Aaand HUFFLEPUFFS SCORE AGAIN! The game is now 100 to 30, for Hufflepuff," The commentator declared, while Hufflepuff supporters cheered wildly.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she missed it when the Snitch was caught by the Ravenclaw Seeker, making the points turn in their favour. As Ravenclaw supporters cheered and screamed throughout the pitch, Hermione only hoped she could leave as quickly as possible.

* * *

Ravenclaw Quidditch team had decided to set up a party in their common room, and all houses were invited. Hermione found herself standing next to the bar, eyeing the people around her and sipping her Butterbeer. There were many students from every house, sans Slytherin of course, and everyone was having fun with each other, regardless of the rather intense Quidditch game between the two opponents.

She saw Mary and Alice on the makeshift dancefloor with a couple of Ravenclaw girls from their year, as well as a group of boys who were watching their dancing appreciatively. Hermione bit back a grin as she saw Mary rolling her eyes and pulling Alice closer to her on the dancefloor. Lily and Marlene were laughing with James and Remus near the fireplace, along with a number of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. On another set of armchairs near the entrance, a slightly raunchy version of the game spin the bottle took place between some Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. Hermione pursed her lips in distaste and turned her eyes elsewhere.

There had to be a charm to expand the common room set up in order to accumulate all of them, as she knew it couldn't have been this large normally. There were several sitting areas, a large dancefloor and several secluded reading nooks behind large bookshelves, not to mention the drinks table, which was actually an imitation of a bar, with barstools and everything. She was quite impressed by the spellwork but reckoned that the Ravenclaws knew their business.

"So…where's my brother?" Sirius asked as he took a drink from the table and came to stand next to her, his eyes trained on the dancefloor.

Hermione tensed as she hadn't seen him approach her, and turned to look at him.

"I…I don't know," She said with a hint of hesitation.

He merely lifted a brow at her. "Don't play vague with me." He said and eyed her with a grim look.

She looked away and frowned at the awkwardness of the situation.

"Are you a couple now?" He asked while still staring at her with an inscrutable expression.

"No." Hermione said quickly, turning to him again. She bit her lip. "But there…there is something between us." She said uneasily. She saw him narrow his eyes only slightly, the stony expression almost intact.

"Figured. You having sex with him?" He asked harshly, his eyes hard.

Hermione flinched.

"I see how it is," He muttered, downing the shot of Firewhiskey he had in his hands.

"Sirius, I – "

"Don't, Hermione." He said quietly, shaking his head. She could see a hint of regret in his eyes. He put the empty glass on the table and turned to her. "You know, the past month…It's been killing me. I don't want us to be in bad terms." He said, looking at her with an contemplative expression.

Hermione nodded to him.

"Can we get along?" He asked while he studied her features with a small frown.

"You tell me. I've been only honest with you." Hermione said weakly.

Sirius lifted his brows a bit. "So, sneaking behind everyone's backs with your new boyfriend is the honesty you are speaking about?" He said dryly.

Hermione pressed her lips together. "Is it just because he's your brother that makes you bothered? Because if it's not, then… If I remember correctly, you were the one who moved on to a new girlfriend. Or several if the rumours are true…" She said sharply. She had seen and heard enough of his adventures after the school had started to know what she was talking about. Hermione suspected that some of it was probably because of her. A small part of her was bothered by his behaviour, and slightly hurt. But mostly she knew that it wasn't her business. Not anymore.

"Really? You're going to play morality police with me?" He asked with an arched brow. Hermione blushed.

"Thought so." He gave a faint smirk. "Well? Friends?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Hermione said sincerely.

He nodded.

It was quite awkward, being with him, talking with him, even though they'd agreed to get along. Or so Hermione reckoned. Luckily Lily soon came over to save her, dragging her onto the dancefloor with her. While she wasn't the dancing kind of partier, she ended up having fun dancing with the girls.

As the girls had to eventually take a break from all the physical efforts, they retreated towards a set of vacant sofas near the spiral staircase that led up to the Ravenclaw dormitories.

"Who do you reckon that is?" Alice wondered after plopping down on the sofa and eyeing at the marble statue near on their left.

The others looked at the direction she was staring.

"That's Rowena Ravenclaw." Hermione said matter-of-factly, eyeing the statue of a beautiful, albeit strict looking witch. "What? I read it somewhere," She said innocently, as the others looked at her with their brows lifted. "You can identify her from the Diadem, as well as the fact that the statue is situated at the Ravenclaw common room," Hermione said with a shrug.

Lily giggled. "A Diadem."

Hermione rolled her eyes as Mary and Alice snickered with Lily. Obviously, the girls had had several drinks more than she'd had, based on how they were acting like a group of ten-year-olds.

"What is a Diadem?" Mary asked with an amused frown, her words slurring a bit.

Lily snorted next to Hermione.

"It's like a tiara." Hermione said, eyeing the girls with an arched brow. "The legend says it is the Lost Diadem of the Ravenclaw," Hermione said, quoting it from the _Hogwarts, A History_. Then something hit her. _The Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw_. _Bloody hell…As in, a lost relic. A powerful magical artefact._

Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? What if the Diadem was one of the Horcruxes? After all, Voldemort had already acquired something from Slytherin, as well as from Hufflepuff. _What if she had just identified the final Horcrux?_ A shiver ran through her as she stared at the statue in a mix of wonder and shock.

"You read too much, Mione." Mary said with a grunt as she lifted her legs on the table in front of them.

Alice nodded in agreement beside her. "Even Lily isn't that bad." She quipped.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Hey? I'm right here," She snapped, looking annoyed. Mary and Alice chuckled. Hermione frowned as she was trying to think of an excuse to leave the party early, so that she could go to Dumbledore and tell him about her revelation.

"And I'm not the one who's sleeping in the library to be the first one there in the morning," Lily said with a teasing grin, eyeing Hermione who blanched.

"I was not sleeping there on purpose." She grumbled.

Lily arched a brow at her. "Oh? Did you wake up _sore_?" She smirked as Hermione paled.

 _Oh, she had to hand it to her. She was good..._

"I mean, those library chairs can be quite uncomfortable," Lily continuedwith a snicker, while Mary and Alice seemed oblivious to what she was really talking about.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Lily's words. She needed to make an excuse, _now_. "I need a drink," She muttered, standing up and heading towards the drinks table.

Only she didn't grab a drink, but made her way towards the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room.

"Hermione! Where d'ya think you're goin'?" James voiced and grabbed her hand before she had a chance to exit, whirling her back to him.

Hermione narrowed her eyes to him. "What are you doing?" She asked coldly.

James cringed slightly. "Okay, I deserve that…Look. I'm sorry…I've been a dickhead, and I'd like to be friends again." He said with a slightly slurred voice. "Will you forgive me?" He said, giving her a puppy eyed look.

Hermione's brows lifted. "This is the second time this night one of you comes to befriend me." She eyed him suspiciously. "Did Remus put you up to this?"

James gave her a sheepish look. "Yeah, well…we might've had a talk," He said with a small smirk.

Hermione nodded.

"So? Bygones be bygones?" He asked with a slowly widening grin, his eyes still resembling the eyes of a golden retriever puppy.

Hermione grumbled. "Okay, fine. I'll forgive you." She said with a tight smile.

"YESSSS!" James exclaimed, crushing her into a hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek and lifting her up. He spun her around once. Hermione screamed bloody murder, which gathered amused looks from the others, and with a chuckle he put her down.

"We have to celebrate this, come on," He said and started to drag her towards the drinks table, stumbling a little as he led them there through a group of Hufflepuffs.

Hermione muttered her protests and told him that she'd been about to leave the party.

James blanched. "No way," He said loudly in a mix of shock and amusement. "As I said before, Mione. If you wanna be a true Marauder, you'll need to lay back a bit." he said with a drunken grin, pouring two shots of Firewhiskey for them.

"But I don't want to be a Marauder." She said incredulously, while James ignored her protests and shoved the shot into her hands, grinning widely.

"Bottoms up," He said and waggled his brows and downed his shot.

Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly. This was not what she'd had in mind, _damnit_. With a sigh, she tipped the shot down her throat and put the empty glass down. James was smirking at her.

"Better?"

Hermione stared at him blankly. "Yeah, I guess." She said, even though she didn't quite catch his meaning.

"Okay then, one more. Then we dance, yeah?" He grinned. Hermione stared at him incredulously. _Why was he bothering her like this? And how was she supposed to leave the party and go to the Headmaster if she reeked of Firewhiskey?_ She thought briefly and groaned inwardly as he tucked another shot into her hand, the liquid in his own glass sloshing a bit as he raised it towards her before tossing it down.

She knew she wasn't going to shake him before he was pleased, so she downed the shot, cursing James in her mind for screwing up her plans.

"Happy?" She snapped.

"Very," He laughed. "Now. Dancing." He said, putting their glasses away and pulling her to the dancefloor.

All the seventh year Gryffindors were there, along with several other partiers, and even if Hermione was annoyed that her plans had gone awry, she was slowly starting to enjoy herself. Perhaps it was the alcohol…Or the fact that she was surrounded by her friends, who all were having fun. Either way, she reckoned there was always the next day.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, and Hermione ended up stumbling back towards the Gryffindor tower long after curfew, at ungodly hours. Only Marlene had suspiciously disappeared on some point during the party, presumably not alone.

"Who do you reckon Marley was hooking up with this time?" James asked as they were walking up the staircase, Remus leading the group with a piece of parchment - their Map. The girls all had tried to have a look at it, to see what it was, but the boys maintained that if the girls wanted to gain something, they had to lose something. Which was their clothing. The girls had made disgusted noises, and Lily and Mary had both sent a pair of angry glares towards their boyfriends, who had merely shrugged innocently. In the end, the parchment and the boys' secrets were left with Remus, while the others followed obediently behind him.

"Dunno mate, probably some misguided Hufflepuff, as usual," Sirius said with laughter in his voice.

Lily narrowed her eyes to him. "That's our friend, who you are talking about," she said warningly. "And well…she dated _you_." She said pointedly.

"Ouch," Sirius said with a chuckle. "But since we are being truthful here, I reckon one would have a hard time finding someone as brilliant as me," He said and winked at Lily, who rolled her eyes at him.

James shook his head in amusement while Peter was walking sluggishly behind everyone, stumbling on the steps every now and then.

"Oh, I doubt that, Black." Lily scoffed.

"Really?" Sirius challenged, glancing at Hermione's direction, as if to point out she hadn't gotten further than his brother. Hermione was getting uncomfortable by the minute. She _really_ didn't want to be involved to the conversation.

Luckily Sirius merely shrugged as they neared the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Tower. After entering their dark and empty common room, they bid each other good night before disappearing to their respective dorms.


	25. A Revelation

**A/N:** Hello new readers and those who have stuck with me from the beginning! Happy reading :) And please review!

* * *

 **Chapter 25: A Revelation**

 **February 20th 1978 (Monday)**

Monday started with a double DADA class, and the NEWT students were practicing duelling again. This time Hermione was paired with a slightly ill looking Remus. Even though she knew the full moon would be on Thursday, she only now realised how affected he was even so many days before the full moon. She could see him trying to put on a cheerful face, even though he probably felt quite awful.

"Remus…You okay?" She whispered as the others paired up around them.

He frowned at her. "Yeah."

"You look a bit ill. Shouldn't you go resting?"

His eyes narrowed a bit. "Please stop, Hermione. Let's just start with the duel," He said harshly.

Hermione blanched. "Okay," She said quietly and they took their positions.

After the duelling formalities, they started throwing jinxes and hexes in a slow pace. Hermione tried to attack as little as possible, as she saw how much effort it took for him to cast a basic shield charm. He went paler, breathed heavier, and Hermione knew she had to do something, before Remus would pass out. She shot a helpless look at Sirius, who was partnered with a Ravenclaw near them, and beckoned him over.

"What is it?" Sirius came to them, his eyes focusing at his friend. "Moony…You are supposed to take it easy," He hissed to him. Remus rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Sirius turned to Hermione. "Go to Prewett. Tell him I'll take Remus to the hospital wing," He said tensely.

"Pads, I'm fine. I can take care of myself." Remus said quietly, trying not to draw attention to them.

Sirius merely lifted his brows at him and turned to Hermione again, gesturing for her to move.

"Oh. Okay, I'll go." She said, slightly taken aback.

As she was walking between the duelling students towards Gideon, Mary grabbed her hand. She had been duelling Lily, and both girls eyed Hermione with curiosity and worry.

"Mione? What's going on? Is Remus okay?" Mary asked with confusion, nodding towards Sirius and Remus who were bickering in the back of the classroom.

"Oh, um, he's just a bit ill, I think. I'm just going to inform Prewett about it," Hermione said and tried to smile reassuringly. Mary frowned.

"Can you…go with him?" Mary asked hesitantly. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek in hesitation.

"Mione…Please? He's been acting weird lately, and he won't talk to me about what's bothering him…" Mary whispered with a confused expression.

Lily and Hermione shared a wary look.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go," Hermione smiled. "I'll see you at lunch."

She left the class after informing Gideon about Remus, and spotted Sirius and Remus walking further along the corridor. Gideon seemed be aware of Remus's illness, and had only replied that Remus was lucky to have such good friends to take care of him before he had waved her off and returned his focus on the duellers in his class.

"Hey, can I help?" Hermione said as she fell into step with the boys.

Both of them eyed her in surprise.

"Why are you here?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Well, since _someone_ has been acting like a stubborn little boyfriend recently, Mary asked me to go with you," She said softly, smiling at Remus who frowned and looked away.

Sirius smirked. "Yep, that's our Moony," He said as they walked forward. "He's been speaking Welsh all night and morning." Sirius said with a dry chuckle.

"Told him to come here straight away but the sad sod wanted to go gambling." Sirius muttered as they neared the hospital wing.

"I'm right here, Pads." Remus said dryly, and entered the hospital wing with a huff, while Sirius merely shook his head with amusement.

"After you," Sirius said to Hermione, holding the door politely.

Hermione nodded and followed Remus in. Madam Pomfrey had him already sitting on one of the hospital beds, and was in the process of asking him a set of questions that seemed to be a regularity between them.

"So…Is this normal?" Hermione asked with puzzlement as she stood next to Sirius, slightly further away from Remus's bed in order to give the matron space to work. Of course she knew Remus wasn't in his full strength during the days before the full moon, but she hadn't known that he would have to stop by in the Hospital wing to take some potions to make himself feel better.

Sirius shrugged. "Sometimes." He said simply. Hermione could see concern edged on his face.

"He's just having a hard time accepting the effects of his illness every once in a while," He muttered, glancing at Hermione.

She understood. Remus didn't want to back out from the duelling class, because he didn't want his illness to affect his school grades, or his life.

"I just wish there was something I could do to help him…You know?" Sirius muttered with a sigh, his eyes trained at his friend on the hospital bed, who probably heard every word they said, thanks to his lupine hearing.

Hermione eyed Sirius thoughtfully. She knew the boys had done so much already to help Remus by accompanying him in their Animagus forms during the full moon, but of course she couldn't say anything about the matter. But perhaps there was something more that could be done to help Remus through the full moons. And she possibly had a solution to that.

"What?" Sirius asked, shifting awkwardly as she still stared him.

"Oh, nothing. I was just…thinking about something." She explained vaguely.

The truth was that she had been alone in the Grimmauld Place library the day before, and had browsed through the endless bookshelves, ending up with a book about advanced potions and poisons.

In the end, the book itself hadn't held her interest so much as the photograph that had fallen from the middle of it. It was of the Black family – Sirius wasn't in the photo, naturally. They were sitting, rather stiffly on her opinion, with another family, discussing something as the picture moved.

 _"What's this?" Hermione muttered as she studied the picture, and after staring it for a while, she turned it over. There was writing on the back of it, and she had to squint in order to read the text._

 _"Belby…" She said softly._

 _"I know that name…Where do I know that name from?" She muttered, eyeing around her in the empty library. Nothing came to her mind, and eventually she abandoned the book and left towards the Gryffindor tower._

 _As she was lying in her own bed that night, ready to go to sleep, it came to her._

 _Damocles Belby, the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion._

In the morning, she had sent a message to Regulus to ask if he could meet her in the Room of Requirement after lunch, before their afternoon classes. She hoped he could help her to get in touch with Damocles Belby.

After a while, Madam Pomfrey retreated back to her office, ordering Remus to stay in the hospital wing until dinnertime, and urged him to come back again if he felt ill.

"Well, I'm off to have some fresh air," Sirius said and took a pack of cigarettes from his pockets, chuckling as Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval.

"Cheers then," He said with a wave and exited the hospital wing. Hermione and Remus waved at him before she sat down next to Remus's bed. She eyed him with a stern look in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," Remus muttered with an annoyed voice.

Hermione merely smiled at him. _Boys…_

"Why didn't you tell me you're seeing him?" Remus asked suddenly, eyeing her searchingly.

"What?" Hermione asked, her smile faltering.

"You know what I'm talking about…You do know I… _smelled you_ …on Saturday," He said awkwardly, grimacing at the words.

She flushed bright red. "Merlin…This is so embarrassing."

"Tell me about it," He grumbled.

Hermione sighed. "I guess that…I wanted to tell Sirius first, but…he sort of figured it out," She said slowly.

Remus nodded. "So…you're together? You and Regulus?"

"No…I don't know…It's complicated." Hermione said with a frown.

Remus laughed. "I thought my life was complicated."

Hermione joined his laughter. _Oh Remus…You have no idea…_

They were silent for a while before she spoke. "Have you, um…heard about the Wolfsbane Potion?" Hermione asked vaguely.

He gave her a perplexed look. "Yeah. Heard rumours of it. Why do you ask?" He asked suspiciously.

Hermione shrugged. "No reason." She said innocently, and Remus didn't press the issue any further.

"What about you and Mary? What's going on between you two?" She asked after another moment of silence.

Remus groaned. "I dunno." He said and sighed. "I like her. A lot…It's just that...I want to tell her about me. About my _illness._ But…"

"You're afraid she runs to the hills?" She finished the sentence for him, eyeing him with a sad smile.

He looked at his lap. "Yeah."

"She won't. I know her. Yes, she might freak out a bit but she will see past that. Trust me." Hermione said with a reassuring look in her eyes.

Remus didn't say anything, but only stared ahead in thought.

* * *

After lunch, and reassuring Mary that everything was okay with her boyfriend, Hermione met with Regulus in the Room of Requirement.

"Is everything okay?" Regulus asked as he entered the room, which was transfigured to match the Ravenclaw common room this time. Hermione was examining the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw and turned to smile shyly at him as she heard him speak. She hadn't still quite wrapped her head around what had happened between them during weekend. His mouth curved a bit and as he came to stand next to her, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and brushed his thumb against her cheekbone.

"Yes," she said, blushing under his gaze.

"Why are we in the Ravenclaw tower?" He asked absently as he observed her flushed features with a small smile playing on his lips.

Hermione shrugged. "No reason."

He arched a brow but said nothing. "So…Why am I here?" he murmured, staring at her intently.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Actually…There's something I wanted to talk to you about," She said and turned to search her schoolbag. "Ah-ha," She muttered after a moment, pulled out a moving photograph and handed it to him.

"Where did you get this?" He asked slowly. There was a small frown between his brows as he stared at the picture. It was the photograph in which Regulus sat with his parents, along with Damocles Belby and his family.

She cringed a bit. "I, uh…might've looked around a bit in your library," She said innocently.

He smirked at her. "Okay. And this?" He lifted the photograph.

"Well…I found it between some old potions book, and then I recognised the man in the picture. That is Damocles Belby, right?" She explained, eyeing Regulus carefully.

Regulus stared at her with an unreadable expression. "How do you know him?"

Hermione bit her lip. _What should she say to him?_ "Er…He's the inventor of the Wolfsbane potion," She said awkwardly.

Regulus's gaze hardened. "I know."

Hermione shifted in her place. "Are you…friends with him?" She asked hesitantly.

He shrugged. "We're in speaking terms."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay…"

"What is it that you wish to achieve, Hermione?" He asked bluntly.

 _Merlin…He really wasn't making this easy. And she clearly had to tell him something…_

"I…I have a friend. Who would benefit a lot if he –"

"You mean Lupin?" He asked sharply.

Hermione blanched. "You…know about him?" She asked, the puzzlement evident in her voice.

Regulus nodded.

"Oh."

"So…You want me to contact him? Belby?" He asked, staring at her with a piercing gaze. She had a feeling he knew her every thought by merely looking at her.

Her brows lifted slightly, a flicker of hope crossing through her. "Could you? I mean, I would like to know if the potion is going into production soon, or if it is already, or if it's still in a testing phase." She babbled.

He gave her a curt nod. "Yeah, okay. I'll owl him."

Hermione smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you." She said and leaned to kiss him.

Regulus immediately answered the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him, a move that had her sigh affectionately into his mouth. Her hands found their way into his silky hair, tugging it every time he nipped and sucked her lips. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she tasted him back. The kiss had quickly turned into a heated one, and as their stifled moans echoed through the room, their bodies wound around each other more tightly, their hips bucking against one another.

Regulus suddenly grinned against her lips, breaking their moment of passion, leaving them both panting heavily against each other's mouths.

"We'll miss classes, love." he murmured as his hands stroked her sides.

Hermione sighed disappointedly. "Yeah. I'd better go if I want to make it into the greenrooms in time. What do you have?" She asked, smoothed her hands affectionately through his hair, before placing them to rest against his shoulders. He took her hands in his and kissed her fingertips.

"Potions," he said, giving her lips a final soft kiss before they parted their ways.

* * *

Dinner went slowly by, and Hermione was starting to feel anxious – she was going to meet Dumbledore, McGonagall and Gideon afterwards at the Headmaster's office. On Sunday, she had sent a note to the Headmaster as soon as she had woken up and gathered enough strength to get up from bed, and Dumbledore had then suggested that they'd meet on Monday after dinner. As their plans to gather had come in such a short notice, Fabian wasn't able to join them this time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Marauders who were sniggering near her. She was sitting on her usual seat, across from Lily and between Mary and Marlene. James and Sirius sat on Lily's other side with Remus and Peter opposite to them.

"You seriously told the Professor _a dog_ ate your homework? And you expected him to believe it?" Lily asked from Peter incredulously. Peter shrugged helplessly back, while the rest of the Marauders laughed.

"Oh, great…" Mary grumbled after glancing at Sirius, who looked overjoyed by the pun and was grinning at Lily. Hermione swore she heard everyone in their table let out a frustrated groan.

"No Lils, _Pete_ here told the Professor a dog ate his homework," He said and winked at the redhead. The boys smirked to each other.

Lily sent a glare at Sirius's direction and turned back to Peter.

"Did you get detention?" She asked from Peter, shaking her head in exasperation.

Peter nodded.

Sirius cleared his throat. "I hope you learn something from this, Pete. It's not very beneficial to leave your homework undone," Sirius scolded him teasingly, while James and Remus both suppressed their grins.

"But…I didn't leave it undone," Peter argued weakly. Sirius, James and Remus continued laughing.

 _Oh. Very funny._ Hermione thought dryly.

"You are one to talk…In how many detentions have you boys been since the start of our seventh year?" Alice asked from the Marauders, her brow arched in a knowing look.

"I'm pretty sure the question is directed to you two," Remus said and smirked at Sirius and James.

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. Something around twelve…Or perhaps fifteen?" He said and tapped his finger against his lips, looking thoughtful. James chuckled next to him while Lily glared at them. "But I have to say Prongs and I have never received a detention because of such a lame-arsed excuse as Pete has." Sirius continued and exchanged a wolfish grin with James.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Hey, Pete? Next time a dog eats your homework, come to me okay?" Hermione asked, smiling sweetly at Peter, and then turned her eyes to Sirius before she continued, "I'll hunt it down." She said with narrowed eyes. Sirius flinched and averted his eyes, and the boys eyed each other nervously.

* * *

After dinner Hermione walked quickly towards the Headmaster's office, and after entering, she sat down next to McGonagall and Gideon.

"So, Hermione. I believe you have some news for us?" Dumbledore asked, smiling kindly at Hermione.

She nodded. "It's about the last Horcrux. The one we don't know about," She said quickly, when the others eyed her with interest.

"I stumbled into Rowena Ravenclaw's statue the other day, and saw the Diadem on her head. At first, I thought nothing of it, but then I recalled what was said about it in the _Hogwarts, A History_. That it was the only known relic that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. And that the legend says it is the _Lost_ Diadem of Ravenclaw." She explained enthusiastically.

McGonagall lifted her brows. "Of course…The Diadem of Ravenclaw." She said, while Dumbledore merely smiled.

"So…You reckon it could be a Horcrux?" Gideon asked, turning to look at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "It would make sense, as Voldemort has gathered some powerful magical objects from the other houses. But…there is another possibility, if we are thinking specifically about the known relics belonging to the founders of Hogwarts." He muttered, eyeing the others.

"The sword of Gryffindor." Hermione said and Dumbledore nodded.

She shook her head. "No. Only a true Gryffindor would even be able to acquire the sword, and then there's the fact that I _know_ it wasn't a Horcrux." She explained.

"How?" McGonagall asked.

"We used it to destroy one." She said simply, while the others frowned. Hermione sighed. "You remember Harry? Well…He killed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor, and as the sword is goblin made, it –"

"Only takes in that which makes it stronger," Dumbledore finished quietly.

Gideon gave Hermione a baffled look. "When was this? I thought the Basilisk was defeated when you were in school?"

"Yes. It was our second year. Harry was twelve." Hermione said quietly.

McGonagall and Gideon gaped at her. "Twelve…" McGonagall exclaimed with a horrified expression.

Hermione nodded grimly. "So…The sword can be factored out." She said hesitantly.

Dumbledore nodded with a solemn look on his face.

"Perhaps we could now start to inspect the possibility that Voldemort has somehow managed to find the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw." He finally said, after a moment of silence.

Hermione, Gideon and McGonagall all nodded at him before they continued into other topics.

* * *

"What were you doing in the Ravenclaw Tower?" Gideon asked nonchalantly as Hermione walked with him away from the Headmaster's office.

She lifted her brows in surprise. "How did you…Oh. The statue." She said with comprehension.

He nodded as his mouth curved a bit.

"I, uh…well. I was in a gathering of sorts…" She said vaguely.

Gideon laughed. "You were in the Quidditch party last Saturday, right?"

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Yeah."

It wasn't that parties were banned in the school, but this particular party had gotten a bit out of hand, as several students were caught wandering through the halls after curfew, on their way to their own dorms. Hermione was a bit surprised that their group had managed to get into their tower without being seen.

* * *

 **February 25th 1978 (Saturday)**

"How's the wedding planning going?" Mary asked from Alice as they sat down in the small and steamy teashop of Madam Puddifoot's.

Hermione didn't really fancy the place, and had actually managed to avoid it…until now at least. The girls had wanted to go somewhere else than the pub for a change, and since there weren't really any other options, they'd come into the cramped teashop, which was decorated with frills, lace and bows. There were winged cherubs, left from the Valentine's Day celebrations, hovering over the tables and throwing pink confetti here and there.

Hermione noticed that the place was crowded with couples who were holding hands. She tried to push away the bitter thought of never really having the opportunity to date. She never had had the time, and now…it was complicated. It really seemed like a lifetime ago, when she had wished that Ron would've taken her there, and held her hand. He had chosen someone else, and then she was thrown into a never-ending Horcrux hunt.

"Well, still fighting with Frank's mother, about everything it seems," Alice replied with a frustrated sigh. "Although now we've agreed that I can wear whichever dress I want. That at least is _something_ I get to decide on," She said with a dry chuckle.

"I mean, it's a farce." Alice continued, rolling her eyes. "But Frank's worth it," She said with a smile.

Marlene chuckled. "So, everything's good in that front?" She asked with a wink.

"Yep," Alice smiled shyly.

Hermione and Lily grinned at their friend.

"What about the bridesmaids dresses?" Mary asked suddenly.

Alice looked a bit uncomfortable. "Eh…Augusta picked them already," She said with a slight grimace, her eyes flickering away from Mary.

"Allie…" Mary said warningly. "Please tell me they are not the horrible tablecloths we laughed at, hmm?" She asked, with a hint of fear in her voice.

Alice winced. "Do you want me to lie?" She asked while shrinking back in her chair.

Lily, Hermione and Marlene tried to keep a straight face. Mary was the only bridesmaid from their group, as Augusta had insisted Alice should have only two bridesmaids, and the other one had to come from Frank's side.

While Mary scowled at the table, the girls continued their talk. "When's the big day?" Hermione asked and took a sip of her tea.

"July 15th, and you're all invited. You will receive official invitations later." Alice said promptly.

"And the venue?" Lily asked carefully, evidently remembering her friend's unenthusiasm towards the place.

Alice made a face. "Well, it's the Old Mill, in Reading, Berkshire. I went to see the place on our last Hogsmeade visit, and, well…I have to say that I thought it would be much, much worse than it was." She said with a shrug.

"So…I reckon the plans are going quite well then? I mean, you have already decided on the venue, the guests _and_ the day?" Hermione asked kindly and Alice nodded.

"Although…I still don't have a dress…" She said with a worried look. "I actually wanted to go to Gladrags today, to see if they have any appropriate dresses, and whether it's possible to order them there for a fitting." She muttered while Lily and Marlene looked at her with enthusiasm.

"Can we come? Oh, I love wedding dresses!" Lily squeaked. Marlene nodded in agreement. Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at their dreamy expressions.

Alice laughed. "Yeah, I was actually counting on that. You didn't think I'd go alone there, or with my sulking bridesmaid?" Alice said teasingly, giving Mary a nudge and smirking at her.

Mary stuck her tongue out at her but smiled back nonetheless.

They left towards the Gladrags Wizardwear after a while. The main road was almost empty, and everyone seemed to have escaped the cold weather inside the shops and pubs. Snow was slowly falling to the ground, and the village looked quite peaceful, wrapped up in a snowy blanket.

"How's Remus?" Hermione asked from Mary as they browsed through a clothing rack in the Gladrags Wizardwear. The girls had divided into two groups, searching suitable dresses for Alice. Hermione and Mary searched one side of the shop while Lily, Alice and Marlene went through the other.

Mary shrugged. "Dunno…He's been pretty distant lately. And now he's taken ill." She said with a frown. "I know there's something he's not telling me, and it's like…He's gathering courage to spill the bloody thing out for me."

Hermione sighed. "I'm sure he talks to you when he's ready," She said comfortingly.

"That's just it…I think what he's itching to say is that he wants to break up with me." Mary said and bit her lip, looking helplessly at her friend.

"I'm sure that's not it. Just the other day he told me how much he likes you." Hermione said consolingly.

Mary gave her a small smile and sighed. "Fucking men."

"Yeah."

They didn't find any suitable dresses from the shop, and while Alice went to have a chat with the shopkeeper and to go through a dress catalogue, the rest of the girls waited in the seating area near the changing rooms.

"So, what about you, Mione?" Mary asked. "How's your dating life?" She asked, continuing their conversation about relationships.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing to tell."

"Really?" Lily asked teasingly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her. Mary and Marlene eyed them curiously, but said nothing.

"Well, I for one have something to divulge." Marlene said with a smirk. "I'm dating Giles. Exclusively." She said proudly.

Mary, Lily and Hermione frowned.

"Who's Giles?" Mary asked after a moment.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "The bloke from Ravenclaw?" She said simply. When the others were still staring at her in confusion, she continued, "The one I shagged last weekend." She said exasperatedly.

" _Ooh..._ " The girls finally said in comprehension. Marlene narrowed her eyes at them.

"You're like a couple now?" Alice asked behind them, eyeing Marlene cheerfully.

Marlene nodded. "Yeah."

"Great! I'll change your invite to plus one." Alice said excitedly.

"What? I didn't have a plus one?" Marlene asked, looking affronted.

Alice looked a bit troublesome. "Well…You know…You haven't been going that steady with anyone since the thing with you and Sirius ended and I just…" She stammered, looking uncomfortable.

Marlene cracked a smile. "I'm just messing with you, Brown." She said and stood up, sniggering at Alice's expression, which turned quickly into annoyance. They left the clothing store and decided to have a quick lunch before leaving the village.

"When do you reckon James's going to pop the question?" Mary asked thoughtfully as they walked back to the castle.

Lily's eyes widened with dread and she whirled to look at Mary. "What? He hasn't said anything, has he?" She asked quickly, anxiety edged on her face.

Mary chuckled. "Well, since that's your reaction, I hope to Merlin he's not going to do it too soon," Mary said, smirking at her friend while Marlene and Alice laughed.

Lily heaved a sigh of relief and joined their laughter.

Hermione frowned. "You don't want him to propose? I mean, eventually?"

"Of course I want it to happen _someday…_ But not now. I'm young, and I want to live properly before I become someone's wife…and mother." She said simply. "No offence, Allie," She added with a shrug.

Alice smiled at her. "None taken. And I've been with Frank for ages. We both know what we want." She said confidently and Hermione could only admire her. She wished she too had someone she was sure of. Or even someone she could talk about to the girls.

"But everything is good with James, right?" Hermione asked, still feeling a bit worried as she glanced at Lily who was walking next to her.

"Yeah, of course." Lily smiled. "I mean, he can be an extreme prat sometimes, but mainly he's adorable. I don't know why I waited this long for us to happen…" She muttered with a tender look.

Alice cracked a smile. "You were waiting for him to grow up a bit, or so we reckon." She said while Mary and Marlene nodded in agreement.

Lily shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Have you seen Snape?" Hermione asked and the others whirled to look at them.

Lily shrugged. "Not since last month at the library."

"What? You went to the library with him?" Mary asked in bewilderment. "Are you like…buddies now? How does James feel about it? You know they hate each other, right?"

"I think it's kind of sweet that he gave you a late Christmas present though." Alice said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but does that erase how he acted?" Marlene asked with a disapproving look.

Lily sighed. "I went to the library with Hermione, but he joined our company, and then we studied together. Nothing more. And James doesn't have a say who I'm friends with, but if it soothes you," She looked at Marlene pointedly, "I don't really see us going back to the way we were. Not after everything that has happened." She said wearily.

The others nodded awkwardly.

"But…I still forgave him." Lily said quietly.

Hermione gave her hand a squeeze. "I think you did the right thing. There's no point holding a grudge against someone." She said, speaking from experience. She had had to let go of many grudges after her arrival to this time.

The girls all went silent, and with thoughtful looks on their faces they continued their walk towards the school.

* * *

"I'm telling you, she didn't have _any_ hair in, you know…down under," Sirius said with a wink, while James stared at him suspicion.

"Nothing?" Remus asked in bewilderment.

"Yep."

"Really?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"Yep."

"Oh…Fuck me." James muttered.

Sirius smirked. "Nah…I'll fuck her."

The boys chuckled.

"Although Prongs…Anytime you think Lily's not enough, don't hesitate to come to me." He said with a sincere look. "I'll make it worth your while," He said and sniggered when James sent a glare at him.

"Bugger off." James said with a huff.

"Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?" Sirius replied with laughter in his voice, standing up from his armchair beside Remus's bed, a sly smirk plastered on his face as he approached James, who was sitting at the foot of the bed.

"By the way, interesting choice of words," Sirius said, grinning as he leaned closer to James.

James narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I swear to Merlin if you touch me, Pads, I'm gonna kick you square in the nuts," He growled.

Sirius barked a laugh and returned to his seat. Remus and Peter eyed their banter with amused grins.

"Just because it has to be said; Lily's _quite_ adequate." James muttered with a challenging look.

Sirius smirked. "If she's as bossy in the sack as she's the rest of the time, I don't really doubt it," He said and shared a sly grin with Peter.

"Watch it," James said warningly. Remus grinned and shook his head in amusement.

They started talking about Quidditch and the approaching match that was to be played between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"I reckon we don't have anything to worry about." Sirius said with a shrug.

Remus frowned. "But you have to admit, Pads, they've put together quite a team this year."

"Yeah, I'm with Moony on this one. You can never be too careful," James muttered. "Although the last game did give some perspective about their game style and how aggressive they are in the pitch..." He said thoughtfully.

"By the way, do you reckon Hermione knows about us?" James asked, eyeing Sirius and Peter. "You know, the way she spoke the other day…" He said and frowned.

Sirius looked thoughtful. "Dunno actually. I mean, she knows about Moony, but I never told her about him or the rest of us," He said with a shrug.

"Maybe you could, I don't know…ask her?" Remus suggested.

James snorted. "What? 'Hey, Hermione. Did ya know we're all animals?'"

Sirius smirked. "Some more than others if the rumours are true," He said and gave Remus a wicked grin. Remus groaned while James and Peter laughed.

"No, well, I don't really know a subtle way of asking if she knows about you guys, without making her suspicious, so…Perhaps we'll just have to wait and look closely how she reacts when either one of you dickheads throws your stupid jokes around her." Remus said exasperatedly, while the others still chuckled.

* * *

Hermione was waiting for Regulus in the Room of Requirement's version of the Gryffindor common room. He had sent her a message to her charmed galleon earlier that day. His 'pen-pal' had replied to him, and Regulus had asked if they could meet in the Room of Requirement that night after dinner.

"Hey," He said and walked towards the sitting area in front of the fireplace where she was seated, in the corner of the couch, with her legs tucked under her.

"Hey," Hermione replied as he leaned to kiss her before sitting next to her.

"He replied?" Hermione asked and eyed him in anticipation. Regulus smirked at the excitement that was evident on her face.

He nodded and handed over a letter from his pocket. Hermione took it quickly and started to read, biting her lip in concentration as her eyes skimmed over the parchment. A small smile tugged his lips as he studied her features.

"Wow…This is…" She muttered, after finishing the letter.

"Yeah."

"So…he's searching for volunteer werewolves to study the effects of the Wolfsbane potion…" She muttered, her eyes moving fervently across the letter.

 _"If your friend is interested in joining the study, please contact me as soon as possible. We are hoping to start the experiment during the summer at the latest."_ Hermione read aloud, turning to look at Regulus with a wide grin.

"This is brilliant!" She cried, her mouth turned into a wide excited grin.

Regulus smirked. "If you say so."

Hermione shook her head in amazement. "I have to tell him! Reg…He'll be over the moon…" She rambled on enthusiastically and chuckled inwardly at the pun.

His mouth curved up into a small smile. "Well, go on then…"

Hermione pecked him on the cheek and jumped from the couch, sprinting away from the room, the letter clutched in her hand.

* * *

Hermione entered the hospital wing, glancing quickly around. The place was quiet, as it was too late for an official visiting hour. She sneaked behind the curtains of the bed she knew Remus was situated in, being the only bed that was occupied in the infirmary.

He was sleeping but stirred when he felt her sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hermione?" He mumbled sleepily, frowning at her. He sat up quickly, the covers falling onto his lap and revealing his bare chest. "What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion, shifting awkwardly as Hermione's eyes moved down his chest, which was covered in bruises and cuts, some of them quite deep.

She cleared her throat and moved her eyes back to his, handing him the letter.

"What is this?" He muttered, taking the letter and reading it, his eyes widening as he went on. "W-What?" He mumbled, glancing at Hermione in a mix of shock and anxiety on his features. "Is this real? You're not taking the piss?"

Hermione nodded excitedly. "He is the inventor of the potion. And he wants you to join the testing before it goes into production. I guess there will be some others attending as well…" Hermione continued, and then eyed his reaction. "…Will you do it?" She asked hesitantly.

Remus barked a laugh. "Will I do it? Of course I'll do it!" He cried, and quickly cringing when he remembered they were in the hospital wing and closed his mouth. After listening for a moment to make sure the matron wasn't alerted by the yelling, Hermione cast a silencing charm around them, so they could continue their talk freely.

"How?" Remus asked, eyeing Hermione intently after re-reading the letter.

Hermione shrugged. "He's friends with Regulus…I asked him to contact Belby, to merely ask in which phase the potion is at the moment," Hermione said. "I didn't assume he'd suggest for you to join the experiment." Although, Hermione had started to suspect that maybe Regulus had asked for more than a simple question.

Remus shook his head in awe. "Thank you," He said and stared into her eyes with such sincerity and gratitude that made her almost avert her eyes.

"Don't thank me yet. It might not work, you never know…" Hermione said with a smile. _It would work. She was sure of it._

He chuckled. "Even the possibility of something that might make this easier for me, is something I'm grateful for." He said and smiled at her with admiration.

"I'll let him know then, and perhaps he can contact you after that?" Hermione asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, of course," Remus said with a dazed voice, still a bit taken aback by the news.

* * *

 **March 3rd 1978 (Friday)**

Hermione was standing in the cave, accompanied by Gideon, Fabian, McGonagall and Dumbledore. It was the first time they were there since destroying the Ring.

"I swear this place gives me the creeps…" Fabian muttered as he put an assortment of potions on a small table they had conjured next to a pair of armchairs.

The general mood amongst them was not as cheerful as it had been last year, as their near failure the month before was still darkening their thoughts.

"It's going to be okay, Fabian." Hermione said reassuringly, although she herself was feeling rather unsure about how things would escalate.

Gideon eyed them for a moment. "Are you guys ready for this?" He asked and glanced at McGonagall and Dumbledore who were waiting for them further along the vast cave.

"Yeah, of course, brother." Fabian said. "I mean, slaying fiery beasts is what I live for…" He said with a wink, walking past Gideon, who smirked back at his brother.

"Hermione?" Gideon asked with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Hermione merely nodded and followed Fabian.

Later on, she reckoned that perhaps she should've said that she wasn't in fact ready for it. She also later wondered if she would ever be ready for it. Everything had gone quite alright, until it was her turn to cast the curse. Somehow, she had lost her focus and had almost ended up being eaten by a fiery Chimaera. As she had been staring stonily at the approaching cursed fire, the only thing she had thought was that if she died, she could finally be reunited with Harry, Ron, and her parents.

What had happened afterwards was a big blur in her head. Dumbledore had put out the flames, but not before it had touched her skin. As Hermione had been screaming in agony and pain, Gideon had carried her quickly onto the couch and poured some potions down her throat before mending the wounds in her hands and chest with the help of the others.

They had decided to end their practice on that note, and as Hermione had rested miserably on the couch, staring at the cave ceiling before she was allowed to travel back to the castle, she tried not think of anything. It wasn't that she was badly injured or at least nothing a little magic and potions couldn't cure, but what bothered her was the emotional turmoil she was in. The dark magic was crawling inside her, trying to take a hold of her, darkening her mind and spirit.

When Gideon and Fabian escorted her to the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione spoke nothing to them, only bid the two men good night and glanced at their worried expressions before she walked through the portrait hole into the dark and empty common room.

She slumped on the couch and stared at the embers of the fire. A moment later a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. _What if she'd seen them?_

She knew her Harry, her Ron and her parents weren't here. They were in a different universe. They could be dead for what she knew. More tears rolled down her cheeks. She let out a strangled moan as she began to cry in earnest, shuddering on the couch, her knees drawn up and hands draped around them, and she cried for the friends she had lost, the parents she no longer had, and her near-death experience. What frightened her the most, was the fact that for a small moment, she had considered it. Giving up. Letting go. Dying.

Her breath was stuttering when she tried to take deep breaths to calm down, and was unsuccessful.

"Mione?" Lily asked hesitantly, walking from their dorm, clad in her pyjamas. "What's wrong?" She asked with worry and walked the rest of her steps quickly as she noticed her shaken appearance.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Lily asked again anxiously, as Hermione continued crying, shuddering and staring ahead with an empty look on her face.

Lily looked around them helplessly before she sat down next to Hermione, hugging her close.

"Shh…It's okay, Mione. Just tell me what's wrong and we'll figure it out, okay?" She whispered, but nothing she did or said made any difference.

"Shite." Lily cursed under her breath, properly concerned now. "Let's go to the hospital wing, okay?" She asked, but Hermione didn't even look at her. It was like she was in some kind of a trance.

"What's going on?" Sirius's voice questioned as he exited the boys' dormitory, wearing only his pyjama bottoms.

Lily whirled to see him. "I don't know!" She exclaimed impatiently. "I found her like this a moment ago, and it's like she doesn't even realise I'm here!" She hissed to him, her eyes filled with worry and dread.

"What?" Sirius mumbled, walking quickly to see Hermione. Her hands were covering her face now, as she sobbed quietly, her shoulders shaking.

"Hermione? Kitten? What's wrong?" Sirius asked, prying her hands away from her face, holding them between his while kneeling in front of her.

"Hermione?" He asked again, and Hermione only shook her head, not looking at either of them, her tears slowly ebbing.

Sirius frowned. "Can I take you to the hospital wing?" He asked softly, while Lily was staring at them fearfully.

Hermione shook her head again, her eyes staring emptily ahead.

"Okay. Just…lie down okay?" Sirius said, and to his and Lily's surprise, she obeyed and went to lie down on the couch, her back turned to them.

"What now?" Lily whispered anxiously after Hermione closed her eyes and appeared to be resting.

Sirius shrugged. "Fuck if I know," He snapped quietly. "What the hell was wrong with her in the first place?" He muttered, glancing at Lily in bewilderment.

"I said I don't know! I just found her like that," She hissed to him, and he rolled his eyes, his eyes travelling to the table where Hermione's wand was lying on. There was a Galleon beside it, and for some reason, it piqued his interest.

"What's this?" He murmured, taking the coin in his hand. "A fake galleon?"

"Oh, that's just a way of communicating. The other girls and I have similar ones, they are exact copies of hers." Lily explained. "Although…that does not look like the ones we have," she said absently, looking at the coin in Sirius's hand.

"That's because it isn't." He said grimly as he read the coin.

 _You okay? –RB_

"Is that…" Lily started but didn't finish as Sirius grabbed his own wand and sent a message through the coin.

 _What the fuck did you do to her? –SB_

"Sirius…" Lily said warningly. "You shouldn't." She said but there was a hint of doubt on her voice. _What if it was Regulus who had caused Hermione to have that kind of a breakdown?_

 _Where is she? –RB_

 _She's safe. –SB_

"If that fucking piece of shit has done something to her, I'm gonna kill him." Sirius growled angrily, pacing in front of the fire. Lily eyed him warily, but said nothing.

Moments later, Hermione turned to look at the fireplace, still not speaking anything, or even looking at Lily or Sirius. Every now and then a tear escaped from her eye and when Lily was suggesting she'd go to get Madam Pomfrey to them, the portrait of their common room opened. Regulus came inside, frowning at the assembly in front of the fire.

"What's going on?" He asked cautiously, his eyes moving from Sirius to Lily, and finally resting on Hermione. "Hermione? Love?" He said quietly.

Sirius glared at him. "Did you do this to her?" He snarled, walking in front of his brother before he reached the sitting area.

"Of course not." Regulus said quietly, a small frown between his brows

Sirius hesitated. "Then what the fuck is wrong with her?" He hissed at his brother.

"Fuck if I know, Sirius. Calm down and let me talk to her," He said exasperatedly.

Sirius's nostrils flared a bit.

"Sirius…" Hermione croaked, and everyone turned to look at her. "I'm fine…just go to sleep, okay?" She said without looking at him.

"Hermione…" Lily whispered.

"You too Lily. I'll come up in a minute." She said softly, and Lily glanced at the others in confusion.

"Um…Okay." She said, glancing at Sirius and Regulus with a hint of warning in her eyes, as if she was ordering for them to behave before she left the common room.

"Hermione, are you sure?" Sirius asked, looking undecided.

She nodded.

Sirius sighed. "Okay then." Before he took a step towards his dormitory, he glanced at his brother. "Reggie." He said coldly, his eyes holding a clear warning.

Regulus nodded to his brother and sat down next to Hermione, who had moved into a sitting position.

"What's going on?" Regulus asked quietly and took her hand between his, tracing her wrist with his fingertips.

Hermione shivered a little. "Nothing." She merely replied, not looking at him.

"Don't lie to me. You were hurt." He said softly and glanced at the bracelet that was dangling on her wrist. "I felt it."

Hermione grimaced slightly but otherwise didn't react in any way.

"Tell me." He said. "I can feel it. The dark magic. What have you done, love?" He demanded with a hint of worry in his voice, but Hermione didn't reply, and merely turned to stare at him with a blank look.

 _"Legilimens,"_ He whispered, and Hermione didn't have the strength to fight him. She didn't have the strength to be angry with him, as he delved through her mind like it was an open book. Or several books. She could only let the tears cascade down her cheeks as she saw everything that he saw. Which was too much. He'd seen too much. _He saw everything._

"Fuck." He hissed abruptly and stumbled out from her mind, falling on his back on the couch. He stared at her in complete shock, in dread and horror. Hermione eyed him mutedly, her expression void of emotion.

"Now you know." She said softly, standing up and heading towards her dorm, leaving him alone in the dark common room.


	26. The Future unfolds

**A/N:** Early update for you folks! Thank you for your reviews, follows and favourites! I have to say...Even though I'm writing several chapters ahead, _You_ made me add this first part to the text - a glimpse of Regulus's thoughts on what he'd seen in Hermione's mind. And I'm glad I wrote it :) So, please continue letting me know your thoughts on this fic.

A shout-out to my amazing beta who invented the awesome Quidditch sideline cheers/chants!

* * *

 **Chapter 26: The Future unfolds**

 **March 4th 1978 (Saturday)**

It was well past midnight before Regulus left the Gryffindor Tower. What had happened with Hermione, the things he had seen, it was all unnerving, an equally astounding. Everything about her now made more sense to him.

The way she walked around the school – like she had had years of experience and knowledge about the castle, it made sense now. She had already been there. She had studied at Hogwarts. The way she looked at him, the way she looked at everyone. She had known everyone. It all made sense.

The faint scars and marks on her skin, the ones he had assumed were caused by her collaboration with the Order. But now he knew where had those come from. He'd seen her encounter many dangers with her friends. And he'd seen and felt how she yearned for them. Her family. Her loved ones.

But there was something else. She had been running from someone. From _him_. She was trying to find something to use against the Dark Lord. Something that could destroy him. Even though the images he had seen had been a big blur and not everything made sense to him, he was still sure of that particular fact. It chilled him to the core. It made him numb. It made him terrified.

The next day, Regulus had seen her in the Great Hall, but she hadn't even glanced up from her plate. What was she thinking? Would she forgive him? He felt ashamed for reading her mind without her consent, but he couldn't regret it. It only made him understand her and care more for her.

* * *

 **March 6th 1978 (Monday)**

Hermione had stayed in her dorm for the whole weekend, only stepping out to eat in the Great Hall on Saturday and Sunday. Lily had tried to talk with her, about what had happened, but Hermione had told her friend that she wasn't ready to talk about it.

During the two days of silence and contemplation, Hermione had thought over and over how she had acted. How she had faced the cursed flames and actually considered dying. She was sure that Regulus now knew her every deepest and darkest secret. She was upset that he had read her mind, but even more so as she considered the risks it brought up. She felt fear gnawing her insides.

On Monday, Hermione left the DADA class alone, after having a brief discussion with Gideon. Their Professor had tried to inquire how she was holding up after the incident in the cave, and Hermione had assured him she was okay. Even though she really wasn't.

She turned around the corner and stopped abruptly. Regulus stood there, leaning against the wall, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Hermione." Regulus said quietly.

"Reg…" She said, anger and sadness coursing through her. Without realising what happened, she lifted her hand and slapped him on the cheek.

His head turned to the side from the impact, and Hermione stared at him in shock. _What had she just done?_

Regulus's lips twitched a bit, and he took a step closer. "Can we talk?" He asked softly, as if she hadn't just smacked him.

She could see the red handprint on his skin. Hermione swallowed, her eyes tearing up. Everything was now amiss. Damaged.

"Come here, love." He murmured, took her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. She let him. His hands ran down her back soothingly, making her shiver. Hermione pressed her face against his neck and breathed in his scent, trying in vain to calm herself.

"It's okay, love." He whispered softly, kissing her temple.

"No, it's not…And what if someone sees us?" She argued and glanced around them. The halls were empty, but she could hear footsteps not far from them.

"I don't give a fuck, Hermione." He said, looking at her eyes with a piercing gaze. "Not when you're like this."

Her heart ached for him, but she clenched her jaw, trying to stay rational. "Even so…Let's go to the Room of Requirement," She said and disentangled herself from his arms.

He frowned at her, but nodded. "Okay. I'll see you there," He said, his grey eyes cloudy with thought as he watched her leave and make her way towards the seventh floor.

* * *

"What…?" Regulus muttered as he glanced around the Room of Requirement, inspecting the place with confusion. Hermione had brought them straight into his bedroom. He knew it was his, but it wasn't like he remembered it. It didn't look like it had the last time they'd been in the Room of Requirement. Or the last time he had been home. There were the familiar colours of emerald and silver everywhere, draping the bed, the walls and the windows. But everything was dusty and untouched, indicating that it hadn't been inhabited for many years. He knew what it meant.

He slowly turned to look at Hermione, who stood at the door, eyeing him anxiously.

"You're from the future." He said blankly. That much was obvious, as he had seen people he knew in her mind, people, who looked a lot older than they now were. He wondered, how far from the future she actually was.

Hermione grimaced. "Sort of, yes." She said, seemingly stalling, as if she was prepared to answer only the minimum amount of questions.

Regulus huffed and threaded a hand through his hair, feeling frustrated. He saw her looking at him carefully, as if dreading of what she was going to ask.

"What did you see?" She finally asked, chewing the inside of her cheek anxiously.

She must've known he'd seen many things, but as some of her memories had flashed through her mind so fast, he was sure he had missed something. And now she was making sure she wasn't telling him more than necessary. Regulus felt disappointed but understood her. And even though he wanted to know everything there was about her, he knew that what information he already had, was dangerous. For both of them.

Regulus studied her features as he replied to her. "You've studied here. You had a life already. You knew of us." He said quietly. He'd seen her, surrounded by a different set of friends, looking happy, looking cared for.

Hermione nodded and waited for him to continue, wringing her hands in agitation.

He knew he had to mention the Dark Lord, even though he knew it probably was the most dangerous bit of information he had learned. "You were running from _him_ , trying to find something that could destroy _him_." He continued flatly, watching her reactions carefully as he spoke.

Hermione's eyes widened with dread as she nodded again.

Regulus eyed her for a small moment, his stomach clenching nastily as he recalled one of her memories - the one in the cave where she'd faced an enormous fiery beast, and how she'd frozen in front of it, how emotions of hopelessness and giving up had been the only things coursing through her mind at that moment. "You wanted to die." He said quietly, disbelief evident in his voice.

Hermione pressed her lips together and looked away.

"Yes." She whispered, giving him a desperate look.

"Why?" He asked with a thick voice, closing their distance and pulling her against him. She placed her hands against his chest as he gripped her arms tightly.

Hermione set her forehead against his shoulder, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "Because for a small moment, I wanted to see them…for a small moment, it felt like the easy option. No more secrets, no more living in danger, no more staying hidden…" She whispered, her voice faltering.

Regulus swallowed hard, before placing his fingers against the line of her jaw and pulling her gently to meet his gaze. The look she had shone of despair, and yet it seemed to soften as their eyes locked. He couldn't look away from her eyes. He wanted to forget himself into them.

"I miss them." She said softly. "My friends. My family. I didn't plan to come here, Reg. I didn't want to leave them."

He nodded and was silent for a while as he studied her, smoothing his hand up and down her back. He then cleared his throat, needing to know something. Something that had become more and more clear now, as they were standing in his decaying bedroom. "Seeing as you've already been at my home…You knew me? Or rather of me?" He asked eventually, his eyes searching hers.

"Yes." She said warily.

Another short silence.

"I don't make it, do I?" He asked calmly, staring deeply into her eyes. Hermione gaped at him in disbelief. It was the answer he needed, but he still waited for her to speak. To confirm it.

"No." She gasped, seeming to be too stunned to say anything more.

He nodded. "Okay then." he said slowly.

"W-What?" Hermione blurted. "How can you be so calm about it?" She asked, her voice wavering as she gazed at him with a horrified look.

When Regulus didn't reply, Hermione continued, becoming slightly hysterical. "Don't you want to know how it happens? When it happens? I mean – "

"No, Hermione. No. I don't want to know how I die," he said sharply, interrupting her.

There was a moment when she merely stared at him, looking hurt and conflicted. "I…I won't let you." She whispered, staring at him intently.

Feeling all kinds of emotions surging inside him, Regulus looked quickly away and swallowed deeply, pushing everything away into a dark corner of his mind.

"How? How could you prevent things from happening that will happen?" He asked plainly, now feeling more calm.

Hermione's eyes moved studiously over his face. "I just…I know how to do it, trust me. I've changed some things already," She said solemnly.

Regulus stared at her indecipherably, and said nothing more to the matter. Having the information that she knew what would happen to him and how to prevent it, made chills run down his spine. What would she have to do in order to save his life?

What she'd said about wanting to give up, about even considering the option of sacrificing her life in order to meet her loved ones…It was unbearable. It made him struggle for breath. Regulus brought his hand to cup her cheek gently. "Don't leave me, Hermione." He said quietly, pleading her, hoping to Merlin that he'd be enough for her.

Tears seeped slowly down her cheeks and he brushed them away, staring at her intently, relieved to see some kind of resolve in her eyes.

"I wouldn't. If there would be another situation like that, I wouldn't take it," She said solemnly and took a deep breath. "I…I don't want to give up my life…" She continued, her voice now faltering, her throat moving as she swallowed deeply, "…Because then I'd have to give up you too."

Her final words came out almost inaudibly, and Regulus felt his chest twist with equal agony and happiness before he leaned down to kiss her softly.

After their kiss, Hermione buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Can we give it a rest for now?" She asked weakly. "I just want to be with you."

He sighed, knowing that they had merely scratched the surface, but also feeling that perhaps it was necessary for them both to think really hard what was safe and essential for Regulus to know. "Okay." He said and held her close to him.

"Reg?" She asked after a moment, leaning back and glancing at him unsurely.

"Yes, love?" He asked, brushing a curl of hair from her face.

"Do you have to go to Potions?" She asked hesitantly.

His mouth curved up a bit. "No."

She smiled. "Let's stay here, okay?"

He glanced around them. "I might have a problem with that." He said and took his wand from his pocket. He waved it around the room, making the dust disappear and the air clear a bit. Hermione smiled at him.

"Come here." He said, tugging her towards his bed. Hermione followed him and together they lay in his bed, curled against one another for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

 **March 11th 1978 (Saturday)**

The score was ninety to twenty, Gryffindor leading, and the game had barely started. It was Gryffindor against Hufflepuff, and although the odds where on Gryffindor to win, the opponents had formed a good team this year.

Gryffindor was gathering points rapidly, and James himself had made at least half of the goals. Their housemates were all screaming excitedly and every time their team scored, they loudly sang a new song they'd made for the occasion.

 _"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite – "_

 _"Hufflepuffs are terrified and just shite!"_

Hermione rolled her eyes with amusement as her friends were singing along with the rest of the students who supported the Gryffindor team. She tugged her red and gold scarf tighter around her, shivering as the cold wind tore through her clothes, even though she was crammed between Lily and Remus. Mary was sitting on Remus's other side, along with Alice and Peter, while Marlene sat on Lily's other side.

"And look at that, ladies and gents, the Gryffindor Beater sends a nasty little Bludger towards Hufflepuff Seeker Grayson Green, and – OUCH! He takes the hit!" The Quidditch commentator, Jackson Abbott, from Hufflepuff, exclaimed.

 _"To them the Snitch is out of sight –"_

 _"And the Quaffle won't go in even a slight."_

 _"We're the ones who gonna party tonight!"_

The Gryffindor supporters sang again as their Chaser, who had the possession of the Quaffle, approached the Hufflepuff goal posts fast.

"Gryffindor in possession. Gryffindor Chaser Hannah Marshall approaching the goal posts – Aaand GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN! The game is now 100 against 20, folks," The commentator yelled, and Hermione could see him shake his head in disappointment.

Her thigh burned abruptly as the Gryffindor supporters sang again, and her surprised gasp disappeared into the screaming crowd. She dug the coin from her pocket and glanced at it, flushing bright red and quickly covering the galleon with her hand. _Merlin forbid…He was utterly shameless…_

They had spent the previous night in the Room of Requirement again, only this time she had gotten up early in the next morning, in order to make it to her dorm before the girls woke up. Regulus had stayed in the room, opting to skip breakfast and instead grabbing some much-needed sleep, as he maintained he had already enjoyed a delicious meal during the night. She snuck a glance at the stand next to theirs, where she knew he would be sitting. He was eyeing her with a self-satisfied look in his eyes, and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. _Merlin if he knew how much he resembled his brother…_

"Hermione? You okay?" Remus asked, eyeing her with a frown.

"Yeah, sure!" She said loudly. "Just excited about the game," She said, trying to sound convincing.

Lily snorted. "Since when have you been excited about Quidditch?" She said, glancing at her friend with amusement.

Hermione shrugged. "I have my moments." She said simply, turning her gaze back to the game and when the others were singing again – as James scored, again – she quickly sent a message back to Regulus.

 _A bit too smug for your own good? –HD_

 _Always. –RB_

Hermione shook her head, biting back a grin.

 _Didn't hear any complaints though. –RB_

She pressed her lips together and snuck a glance at him. There was a subtle smirk on his lips, while his focus was turned on the game.

The game continued like it had proceeded – rapidly, with both teams scoring many goals before the Snitch even made its first appearance. Then it was a battle between the two Seekers.

"Aaand GRYFFINDOR SEEKER CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" The commentator exclaimed, a hint of annoyance in his voice, and every Gryffindor supporter was standing, cheering wildly, and singing to their team. Hermione too stood up, joining the cheering, smiling at James and Sirius who high-fived in the air, looking happier than she'd ever seen them.

* * *

 _"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite"_

 _"Hufflepuffs are terrified and just shite"_

 _"To them the Snitch is out of sight."_

 _"And the Quaffle won't go in even a slight."_

 _"We're the ones who gonna party tonight."_

The Gryffindors were singing loudly the whole way back to the castle, and when they reached their common room, the party was on.

The girls went to their dorm to change, but every Gryffindor team member opted to party with their Quidditch gear on. Hermione changed into a long-sleeved satin wrap dress in nude colour she'd purchased from Gladrags the other week, and as the girls descended the stairs back to the common room after an hour or so, they smiled at the scene playing in front of them.

James and Sirius were singing their Quidditch song while embracing each other, both gripping their own Firewhiskey bottles. Hermione could see the contents of the bottles sloshing around the floor each time they moved.

 _"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite"_

"Hey, Hermione!" Sirius exclaimed abruptly, in mid singing, as he noticed her. He stumbled a bit as he walked to her, and swept her into his arms into a crushing hug. She saw James do a similar move with Lily, although their embrace seemed to end with a bruising kiss.

Sirius spun her around, and she slapped him on the shoulder. "Put me down, Sirius! You're drunk!" She screamed, although laughing at the same time. "Put me down. Now."

Laughing, he finally put her on her feet and pushed the Firewhiskey bottle in her hand. "One for the team, eh?" He said with a wink.

Hermione shook her head and took a swig from the bottle, while James yelled and the rest of the team sang near them. Lily and the girls had joined Remus and Peter who were sitting near the fireplace.

As Hermione eyed the team's chanting, her mind drifted to an occurrence earlier that week.

* * *

 _She was walking to Transfiguration class on Tuesday morning after breakfast, when Sirius suddenly grabbed her by the arm._

 _"Sirius! What are you doing?! Let me go!" Hermione hissed, punching him with her free hand._

 _He didn't comply, or say anything to her, but took her to the nearest classroom and released her after closing the door behind him. Hermione glared at him and was about to yell at him, but then she heard a clearing of a throat behind her._

 _She whirled around to look around the classroom and saw Lily sitting in a chair near the teacher's desk, eyeing her with a frown between her brows._

 _"Hermione…We need to talk" She said gravely._

 _Hermione glanced from her to Sirius in confusion. "What? What is it?" She asked, a bit taken aback by Lily's tone. And what was Sirius doing there?_

 _Sirius sighed. "Just sit down, Hermione." He muttered, eyeing her with an unreadable expression._

 _Hermione looked at both of them again, finally realising what it was about. "This is because of last Friday, right?" She asked quietly._

 _"Yeah." He said, while Lily nodded._

 _Hermione heaved a sigh. "Fine." She finally said, plopping down on a chair opposite to Lily. Sirius sat next to Lily._

 _Great. It was like some kind of an intervention…_

 _"Look." Hermione started before either of them managed to utter a word. "Last Friday had nothing to do with…Regulus," She said his name awkwardly, glancing at Sirius, who still stared at her with a blank look._

 _"Then what was it about?" Lily asked harshly. "Hermione I was so worried about you! I thought you were cursed!" She exclaimed with unshed tears glimmering in her eyes._

 _Hermione felt bad for not talking about it sooner. "I was." She said softly, not looking at either of them._

 _"W-What?" Sirius asked with a cold voice. "Did someone – "_

 _"No." Hermione said quickly, looking at him and shaking her head. "It was…me." She said with a helpless shrug._

 _"What does that even mean?" Sirius asked in bewilderment._

 _Lily suddenly gasped. "It has something to do with…You know…The…hasn't it?" She said hastily, glancing at Sirius with uncertainty before she turned her eyes back to Hermione._

 _Hermione nodded, and Lily's eyes widened._

 _"You mean…The Order?" Sirius asked with a low voice, mouthing the last word._

 _Lily lifted her brows at Sirius while Hermione nodded again. "We can't really talk about it in here…And I can't really talk about it, period." She said tightly._

 _"You can't expect us to let it go this easily?" Sirius asked exasperatedly._

 _Hermione was silent for a moment. "I…Something happened." She said, her voice faltering a bit. "Something went wrong and I…The only thing I could think of was everyone I lost." She whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. She blinked them away and looked at her friends, trying to swallow the lump in her throat._

 _"Hermione…Kitten," Sirius muttered and leaned closer to give her hand a squeeze while Lily took her other hand._

 _"Hermione, you know you can talk to me…And Sirius. About anything. You can trust us, okay?" Lily said while observing her with a sad look. "Are you sure you're ready for whatever it is that is expected from you?"_

 _Hermione frowned. "I knew it would be dangerous. Even if it hadn't gone pear shaped. But I'm fine now." She said, and both Sirius and Lily shook their heads in disbelief._

 _"Last Friday was far from fine," Lily said with a strained voice._

 _Hermione sighed. "Please understand…I have to do this. I have no other choice." She said and stared at her friends with a pleading look._

* * *

After their conversation, she had noticed that Sirius had become much friendlier towards her, and Lily was looking after her even more than ever. She knew it was her fault, having suffered something reminding a panic attack or even a psychotic episode in front of them. She knew they cared for her, and at the same time she was glad that they apparently hadn't shared the details about her incident to anyone else.

Sirius's voice broke her reminiscence. "And now, kitten. We'll have a drinking game," he said with a smirk on his lips. The singing had ended and everyone had gathered in front of the fireplace. Sirius took her wrist and made a move towards the others.

"Sirius, no…"

"Aww, that's sweet. You thought I was asking." He said and grinned.

Hermione grumbled under her breath but eventually followed him.

They were playing the Wizards truth or dare. Which was basically the usual spin the bottle game, but with Veritaserum. _Oh, great._ Hermione thought wryly, but decided that she'd bail out the game the minute she'd feel uncomfortable. Or if it became dangerous.

James was explaining the rules of the game to everyone while Sirius organised several glasses on the table.

"So Moony…Ready to cut your wolf loose?" Sirius asked as he poured the Veritaserum-laced Firewhiskey to the empty shot glasses on the table. Laughing as the werewolf flipped him the bird, he sat on the floor next to the couch where Remus was sitting on. Hermione pursed her lips and sat on the arm of the couch, narrowing her eyes at Sirius. He merely winked at her.

"For you, milady." He said to her and handed a shot and then another one to Remus.

Hermione eyed the liquor cautiously, knowing fully well that if was like playing with fire – if the right questions were asked. Nevertheless, she was quite confident no one would ask anything too personal, as there were so many of them – mainly fifth to seventh years – and even though they all were in the same house, they rarely spent time together. Shamefully, Hermione admitted that she didn't even know everyone by name. As she was trying to remember the name of a brunette witch from sixth year, she heard James call her name and felt Remus nudge her softly.

"Hermione, you're up. Truth or dare?" James asked with a smirk.

Hermione arched a brow. "Truth. I'm not taking the chance of you trying to make me snog Lily again, like you did in the last party," She said dryly.

Sirius snorted while others sniggered. "What! I missed that. Did it happen?" He asked enthusiastically and glanced at Lily, lifting his brows knowingly.

"No." Lily said and narrowed her eyes to him.

James merely chuckled. "Okay, Hermione. Bottoms up."

She sighed and gulped down the burning liquor.

"Who is the best-looking Marauder?" James asked with a smirk.

Hermione gritted her teeth. "Sirius." She said, the truth falling out from her mouth quickly. Her nostrils flared in annoyance as the Marauders howled in laughter.

"Cheers, kitten, but I knew that already." Sirius murmured and smiled at her. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, but gave him a small smile all the same and spun the bottle.

It turned to point at Sirius. "Sirius. Truth or dare?" Hermione asked with a mischievous grin.

"Dare." He said confidently.

"Snog James. Good and proper." Hermione said simply.

James blanched and was about to argue before Sirius stood up, glanced at Hermione with a wicked grin, and walked to James while everyone else was chuckling and watching the scene in anticipation. Lily eyed her boyfriend and his best mate in horror.

"I swear to fucking Merlin, Pads, if I feel your tongue, I'll bite you," James snarled, and was about to say something else but his voice was muffled when Sirius crashed his mouth against James's, kissing him heatedly. Good and proper.

Everyone burst in laughter, and as Sirius broke the kiss and returned to sit on the floor next to Hermione, he gave her a triumphant grin. "You know he'll make you pay for that," He said to her knowingly, while James was bright red with embarrassment.

Hermione supressed a smile and glanced at James who shook his head at her in mild amusement. The game went on. Several ended up without their shirts on, while some had to snog others. Hermione had to perform a lap dance for Peter on some point, which she awkwardly did, while others were snickering and grinning at them. But mainly everyone stayed with the truths, since no one really wanted to snog their mates in front of everyone.

"Okay, Hermione." Marlene said. "How many blokes have you slept with?" She asked slyly, probably expecting her to answer "none", but when she didn't, her jaw dropped in surprise.

"One," She muttered, grimacing at the floor. _Well…That was awkward…_

The truth serum didn't really give anyone a chance to hide the truth. She tried like hell not to look at Sirius or her other friends, as she knew some of them probably thought she hadn't been with anyone. Hermione knew she would have to stop playing the game, because she couldn't take the risk that someone other than Sirius, Lily or Remus would know about her relationship with Regulus. It wasn't about teenage drama anymore. It was dangerous for both their lives.

Sighing, she spun the bottle one last time. It landed on Peter, and he chose the truth.

"Did a dog really eat your homework?" She asked with a bored look.

"No. It was Sirius." Peter quipped, clamping his hands over his mouth in horror. While nearly everyone roared in laughter, Sirius, James and Remus all stared at Hermione in distraught.

Hermione smiled at everyone. "I'll need some fresh air. I'm out." She said, left the common room and went to the balcony. It was cold this time of year, but the balcony was charmed with heating spells. She sank on the bench and let out a weary sigh. The door opened soon after, and Sirius and James walked outside, stopping in front of her.

"So…This is awkward." James muttered and ruffled his messy black hair.

Sirius heaved a sigh and sat next to Hermione. "You know? About us?" He asked curiously as he took a fag from the pack of cigarettes he had in his pocket, handing the pack to James who was now leaning his back to the railing, standing opposite to them. James took one too and offered the cigarettes to Hermione, who shook her head in mild disgust.

Sirius lit his cigarette and offered James a small light from the tip of his wand. He took it and inhaled, coughing the smoke out of his lungs.

"You shouldn't smoke." Hermione merely said, pursing her lips.

Sirius barked a laugh and nudged her. "There she is…"

"Yes, I know. About you." Hermione said with a shrug as she tried to blow the smoke away from her direction.

"How?" James asked with a frown as he took another drag, this time without coughing.

Hermione frowned. "I dunno. I've known some time now. You guys aren't really _that_ subtle, with the nicknames, the jokes and such…" She said plainly.

"So, you know that I'm –" Sirius drawled suggestively.

"An animal." Hermione said, but regretted her wording as both boys howled in laughter, making her redden in annoyance.

"Too true, kitten," Sirius said and winked at her.

She grumbled under her breath. "I know that you're a dog," She started, but stopped, groaning as the boys burst in another set of laughter. "Okay there _really_ is no way of saying it!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up angrily and snatching Sirius's cigarette from his lips and throwing it on the ground, stomping over it.

Sirius merely laughed and took another fag from the pack.

"Okay, kitten. We won't laugh. Much." He said, chuckling as he lit another fag. James grinned at her as he worked on his cigarette.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know that you're Animagi. Peter too." She finally said. James and Sirius shared a silent look and then eyed her cautiously.

"You do realise you can't tell anyone?" James asked grimly.

Hermione arched a brow at him.

"We're not in the registry." Sirius quipped, taking a long draw from his cigarette and puffing rings of smoke in the cold air.

"Why is that, by the way? Why don't you just register yourselves?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Where's the fun in that?" James asked, smirking.

Sirius threaded his hand through his hair, puffing smoke from his lungs. "We could hardly accompany Moony every moth if everyone knew what we were…" he said, eyeing Hermione warily. "That's why we did it, you know. To make it easier for him."

Hermione smiled warmly. Of course she knew. And she knew it meant the world to Remus.

"I understand. And it makes sense." She said finally. "Don't worry. I'm not telling anyone." She said and gave the boys a reassuring smile.

The boys nodded to her, both eyeing her with contemplative looks.

They were all silent for a while, before the boys decided to head back inside.

"Sirius? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Hermione asked before the raven-haired wizard had the chance to step away from the balcony.

Sirius looked back at her. "Yeah…Sure."

He glanced at James, seeming to have a silent conversation with him, and finally James left the balcony, shaking his head with a frown.

"What is it?" Sirius asked as he sat down on the bench next to her.

"I'm just..." She said, biting her lip. "I'm sorry." She said after a moment. "I'm sorry that you finally had your brother back, and then I came between you two…" She muttered, looking into his unreadable grey eyes.

He studied her features for a while before he sighed. "Yeah, well…You and I weren't exactly together when you two…You know." He muttered awkwardly. Hermione nodded.

"I guess I knew he fancied you…" He said, rubbing his neck. "And I still left you."

"Can you forgive him?" She asked hesitantly.

He shrugged. "Perhaps…" He said quietly, looking at the dark forest over the railing.

Hermione smiled at him and stood up. "Let's go inside, okay?" She knew not to push further on the matter.

"What? Eager to snog Evans, huh?" He said with a smirk, standing up and nudging her as they walked towards the door.

* * *

 **March 12th 1978 (Sunday)**

The next morning most of the older Gryffindor students woke up with a raging hangover. After Hermione had managed to get herself up from bed, she met Remus and Lily in the Great Hall for breakfast, and could see that many of her housemates had opted to skip the meal and sleep off their Irish flu.

"I swear I've never seen her that sozzled," Lily chuckled to Remus at the almost empty table.

Hermione smiled at her friends and sat next to Remus. "Who?" She asked as she took a piece of toast and put some marmalade on top of it.

Remus grinned and poured her coffee. "Allie. She was a bit smashed last night."

Hermione smirked. After having too many drinks, Alice had babbled with a foreign accent for the rest of the night. It had been quite hilarious, as she was the epitome of Britishness.

"Yeah, I guess she was." Hermione smiled.

"And you? Making Sirius and James snog each other. Merlin, I'll never forget that," Remus said between laughter, wiping his eyes.

Hermione shrugged innocently while Lily was torn looking amused and embarrassed.

"Although I usually don't mind bringing James's floating head down a notch, I have to say…It was quite unnerving, how they…You know…" Lily stammered, frowning.

"Enjoyed each other's company?" Sirius asked slyly behind Lily, chuckling as he sat down next to her.

Lily turned to look at him with her eyes narrowed. "I swear if you turn my boyfriend bent, I'll make you pay," She snarled to him. Remus, Hermione and Sirius burst in laughter, and Lily joined them eventually.

"Don't worry, love. I'm willing to share," He winked at her and Lily slapped him on the arm.

Remus shook his head in amusement. "Where is James? And Pete?"

Sirius shrugged. "They're not really up for a public appearance yet," he said nonchalantly.

Lily merely lifted her brows at him.

"You know, them being with the _throb_ and all," He said with a low voice, winking slyly at Lily.

She punched him.

"Ouch," Sirius chuckled. "Will you stop harassing me, Evans?"

Eventually Peter and Marlene came to breakfast. When Lily asked Marlene where the rest of them were, she merely shrugged and said, "Well, Mary's praying to the porcelain god and Allie's just praying Merlin to make everyone forget her little acting stunt last night." She said, and everyone burst in laughter.

"And Prongs?" Remus asked from Peter.

Peter yawned and shrugged. "Snoring like a freight train."

After breakfast, Hermione decided to head to the library for some light reading, and Remus asked if he could join her. The others went back to their common room and their dorms to rest.

"I've been meaning to ask, has Belby been in contact with you?" Hermione quietly asked as she walked towards the library with Remus.

He smiled at her excitedly. "Yeah, actually. I haven't had a chance to talk to you about it earlier, but we've been owling, and he asked me to meet him during the Easter hols. He wants me to join the study, and start right after graduation…"

"Wow, that's great," Hermione smiled at him. "Let me know how it goes, okay? And if you'll want company, I'll be happy to join you on Easter." She said kindly.

He nodded. "Yeah…I might be seeing him alone though, if you don't mind…But I'll certainly keep you posted," He said with an apologizing smile.

"Of course I don't mind, Remus." Hermione said softly. "I'm only excited for you," She smiled.

He grinned. "Me too."

* * *

 **March 19th 1978 (Sunday)**

"So…you're expected in the Malfoy Manor next Friday, but you don't have any other knowledge on where the raid would take place?" Hermione asked, frowning as she sat on the couch facing Regulus.

They were in the Room of Requirement's version of the Gryffindor common room, sitting in front of the fire and talking about the upcoming Death Eater raid during Easter holidays. Apparently, Regulus had received a message to inform him of the time and place he was supposed to show up next Friday. Their last lessons would be on Wednesday, and the Hogwarts train would take the students home on Thursday, for a two-week Easter holiday.

He merely nodded, his face blank of emotion.

"Do you have any suspicions?" She asked carefully.

"No." He said finally, after a moment of silence. "I've told you everything I know." He said silently. She could practically feel the accusation behind his words. They still hadn't really talked about her past, or the future, as Regulus was waiting for her to initiate that conversation.

Hermione sighed. "You want to do this now?" She asked tiredly.

He arched a brow at her and sighed. "Probably not the best time to delve into that since I'm meeting the greatest Legilimens there is in less than a week." He said quietly.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked hesitantly, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

He took his hand away from her reach, making her flinch. "I'm sorry, love. Even though there's nothing I want more, I can't indulge myself to you now…Otherwise he'll see it right away." He muttered, staring into her eyes intently.

 _He hadn't really answered her question…_

Hermione felt a bit depressed, but she understood. He needed emotional – and physical – distance, in order to keep all the feelings and memories from _him_. She was also a bit frightened by the fact that Regulus now knew dangerously much about the events of the future, even though they hadn't properly talked about what he had seen. _What if Voldemort read his mind and Regulus couldn't keep certain things hidden from him?_

"Don't worry, love." He said, probably sensing her thoughts, trying to reassure her.

Hermione frowned, worrying her lip. His words didn't soothe her. Nothing could make her not stress about next Friday.

* * *

 **March 24th 1978 (Good Friday, Full moon)**

Hermione had spoken with Dumbledore right after having her latest conversation with Regulus. But there was little to be done when he only knew a date, and nothing else. They suspected the raid was against the Order members, so they remained in alert. James's parents had asked the boys to stay in school for the Easter Holidays, offering some lame excuse about having some event they'd have to attend. The boys knew it was a ruse, but they didn't argue. Remus had opted to stay in school too, as the full moon was on Friday and he would otherwise be spending it alone in his parents' cellar.

Hermione had gone to stay with Aberforth for the holidays. Ab had decided to close the pub for the weekend, as he knew he might be summoned to a fight on Friday. There was also the possibility that the raid would be targeted on them too, and Ab had originally asked for her to stay in the castle. She hadn't agreed, and instead had insisted that she wouldn't be leaving him alone. In the end, they had warded the pub with strong charms, making it a fortress, and practically impossible to breach.

Hermione had been on edge the whole day, anxious for Regulus, her 'dad', and every other Order member. Ab had told her that if he would have to leave to fight, she was to stay in the pub. She knew it was dangerous for her to face the Death Eaters, or Voldemort himself because of the knowledge in her possession, and the risk of being killed or captured was too high. But that didn't mean she was okay with it.

Later that night, Hermione retreated to her bedroom after her nightly routine. It was already quite late, nearly midnight, and they hadn't heard anything from anyone. She lay in her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She was anxious, dreading something. She had a feeling that everything was not all right. Then there was a knock on the door downstairs.

She sprung up from her bed, in alert, her wand at the ready and practically ran to the hallway. Ab was already there, stopping her.

"I'll go first, and you'll stay behind. You disapparate the hell out of here if necessary. Understood?" He asked harshly.

Hermione nodded hastily and walked downstairs to their sitting room on the second floor, waiting there in suspense as Ab descended the stairs to the pub.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened Ab mutter some spells, probably trying to identify the people outside before dismantling their wards enough to open the door.

"Mione!" Ab suddenly shouted from downstairs, and she could hear sounds of moaning and stumbling. Shaking, she ran downstairs with her wand at the ready and a spell on her lips, but what she saw as she dashed through the door, made her heart stop and her blood run cold.

"Reg!" She finally gasped.


	27. The Raid

**A/N: WARNING: The first part of this chapter contains suggestions of gruesome violence, so if you wish not to read it, then I suggest you skip to the second line break.**

Soooo...I hope you read the warning. Also, there's the MA version (not talking about violence here ;) ) on ao3 under the same pen name. Thank you for the inspiring reviews on the last chapter!

Please let me know what you think of this one :)

* * *

 **Chapter 27: The Raid**

 **March 24th 1978 (Friday)**

"Up for a little bit of fun, Black?" Rodolphus Lestrange drawled with his face split into a nasty grin as he walked towards him. They were gathering in the parlour of the Malfoy Manor, waiting for the rest of the Death Eaters to arrive, and then they would be on the move, divided into two groups, heading towards different locations. It was the night of the raid.

Regulus stared back at his cousin's husband with an unreadable expression and merely arched a brow at him.

Bellatrix's full-throated cackle echoed over the room. "Now, now, dear husband. Let's not tease my baby cousin," She said, her full mouth curved into an evil smirk as she approached them, holding her hand out to Regulus.

"Bella. Wonderful to see you." Regulus said stonily, before bowing towards her offered hand and nearly touching her knuckles with his lips while holding her hand lightly. He forced himself not to look away when he straightened up and saw her eyes flashing with hunger.

"Where is the grumpy Mudblood-lover?" Bellatrix asked from Regulus while her haughty eyes took in the room, her nose held high as she assessed the people around them. There were over twenty of them, mingling amongst each other as they waited for the sign to leave.

Regulus too glanced around him. "He'll be here."

Bellatrix smirked to him. "He better be. The Dark Lord does not tolerate disobedience." She said with a honeyed voice, gripping Regulus by his arm while her eyes swept over his face, eyeing him closely. "You've grown, baby cousin. Almost a man, you are." She cooed venomously, licking her lips suggestively.

Regulus gagged inwardly and supressed the urge to roll his eyes at Rodolphus, who was oblivious to Bellatrix's antics, and was merely gawking at his wife with a sick expression, something between lust and worship, regardless of how the mad woman was clearly eyeing her own cousin in the most inappropriate way.

"Such a handsome boy must have a line of girls behind his door," She continued while her eyes were roaming over his body in a way that made his skin crawl with nausea. Regulus tried to remain indifferent. Her nails dug into his skin and he tried to focus on not giving her the opportunity to look into his eyes. She was a powerful Legilimens, he knew. He knew, because she had taught him. He also knew he was no match for her.

"Trust me, he has." Severus said coldly, as he appeared next to Regulus. He nodded to Bellatrix and Rodolphus in greeting, who both stared him with a hint of arrogance in their eyes.

"I trust they are all purebloods?" Rodolphus asked darkly.

"Naturally," Regulus merely said.

Bellatrix looked at him with a gleeful expression.

"Severus, you are coming with me, and you, dear cousin, are going with Rodolphus tonight," Bella spoke, with overwhelming enthusiasm in her voice before turning to walk towards one of the two larger groups. She pulled her mask on and cackled as she went. Severus glanced at Regulus, silently communicating with his friend before he moved to follow Bellatrix. The Dark Lord had given the raid to the Lestranges as a gift – or so Rodolphus had earlier explained – to his most devoted followers, and Regulus could see that his cousin and her husband were beside themselves. It made him sick.

Regulus could only try to stay calm. If he stayed calm and followed the others, he wouldn't be harmed. He knew he wasn't placed high enough in their ranks to be trusted with a killing order. Or so he hoped. The Dark Lord himself wasn't attending in the raid, but instead he was letting his followers do the dirty work. Regulus didn't mind though, because the risk of his mind being read was significantly smaller, even more so now, when Bella would be with the other group.

Regulus glanced at Rodolphus, who gave him a curt nod and pulled on his mask. He walked slowly towards the other group. Regulus took a deep breath and followed him.

* * *

The nightfall had come, and the full moon brightened the darkness. Regulus and the group of Death Eaters were led by Rodolphus into a small village in Kent. It was agreed that the other group, that was led by Bella, would make a mess in the muggle London, targeting as many people as possible, and thus drawing the Order's focus away from their own people. In the meantime, Rodolphus's group would attack a family of known blood-traitors and Order members.

It had been too easy. It was as if they were indifferent to their safety. Like they assumed they'd not be the ones targeted. Even though Regulus had told Hermione they would attack tonight. It took almost no time to dismantle the wards around the house. Half of their group had circled to the back door of the building, and then they stepped in.

Curses were cast, but the family of four was no match for the ten Death Eaters, and one by one, they were beaten. Regulus had thrown a couple of curses himself, but hadn't really hit anyone. He had thought that that was it. That they would end their victims' lives quickly with the killing curse, cast the Dark Mark and then leave, but Rodolphus appeared to have different plans. Their leader ordered them to stun the woman, the man and their two daughters.

"Bring the girl here," Rodolphus grunted behind his mask, and as two Death Eaters dragged one of the unconscious girls into a bedroom where Rodolphus was waiting, he continued. "You can have her here, Carrow. I'll take the other one."

The Death Eater – Carrow – nodded, and dragged the girl further into the room, and another Death Eater followed him in. They revived the girl and Imperioed her. Meanwhile, others were tying up the man and the woman – the girls' parents onto two chairs, and made them face the door to the bedroom. So that they would have to watch their child being molested before they were all killed.

It was sick. It was too much. Regulus felt like he couldn't breathe. But he had to. They'd kill him the minute he disobeyed, before he would even have a chance to call for help. Before he could even lift his wand.

Rodolphus beckoned for Regulus to follow him while he dragged the other girl by her hair towards the sitting room. Golden hair flashed and Regulus blanched as he recognised her. _Marlene._

Regulus gritted his teeth as Rodolphus waved his wand over her. Marlene whimpered as she was being revived, immediately trying to struggle away from the man's grasp and she moved so that Regulus could see her face, he saw that her eyes were filled with fear. Rodolphus grinned maliciously and growled enthusiastically as he felt her up with rough hands.

"I just want to have some fun with you, little blood-traitor…Don't you want to have some fun, too?" Rodolphus taunted, pushing the girl down on her knees in front of him, gripping her hair in a way that must've hurt like hell. Marlene screamed in pain and terror.

Regulus swallowed deeply. He was going to be sick. "Just kill her and be over with it," Regulus said quickly with the most even voice he could master.

Rodolphus turned to look at him, an angry snarl escaping from his mouth. "I knew you were too soft for this. You're trying to make it easier for the Blood-traitor, huh? You'll be sorry when your cousin hears about this, little boy…" He said darkly. "Be quiet or you are next, Black." He growled and turned to the girl again.

Marlene glanced at Regulus in horror, her eyes widening with disbelief and recognition.

Rodolphus unbuttoned his fly and freed his member, dragging the girl's face closer to his crotch. "Suck it. If you use any teeth, I'll make you pay, you filthy slag."

She struggled again, refusing to do what he had told her, and soon Rodolphus was losing his patience. He growled and cuffed her hard on her face, dragging her face up again with a firm grip on her hair.

Regulus could see that her lip was bleeding while she sobbed in hysteria. He felt like he was going to vomit or faint any minute now. Why didn't he do anything to help her?

"We'll just do it the easy way then, eh?" Rodolphus grinned venomously, turning to look at Regulus.

Regulus tried to breathe calmly, swallowing the bile from his throat, choking down a sob that was threatening to come out. He was glad he was wearing his mask.

"Imperio her." Rodolphus commanded.

Regulus's face screwed up in anguish as he cast the curse.

* * *

"Reg!" Hermione gasped, running towards him.

Regulus was kneeling on the floor in the empty pub, his hands covered in blood. His whole body was shaking as he wept uncontrollably.

At first, she had been in shock to see his state. Then she had felt the urge to comfort him, to help him.

"Reg…? Regulus? What's wrong?" She asked quickly as she kneeled in front of him, her hands searching his body for wounds.

Ab was busy warding their home. "Is he wounded, Mione?" He asked roughly, while throwing spells around them, putting the wards back up.

"No, I don't think so," Hermione said with a wavery voice when she didn't find any open wounds.

 _The blood had to be someone else's._ She tried not to think about it as she took his face between her hands.

"Reg? Does it hurt somewhere?" She asked helplessly, and he only shook his head, staring into her eyes with agony and regret while tears ran down his cheeks.

"What happened, Reg?" She exclaimed, the panic again taking control, now that she had made sure he wasn't physically hurt. _Emotionally…that was probably a different case._

"Marlene…" He croaked, averting his eyes. Ab came finally to them, crouching and looking grimly at Regulus.

"McKinnons?" He asked sharply.

Regulus nodded, staring at the floor. "They didn't make it." He breathed.

Hermione stilled in shock. _No…It couldn't be..._

Ab cursed and stood up abruptly. "Hermione, you'll stay here. I have to go." He grumbled, pulling his cloak on.

"Ab –"

"No, Mione." He interrupted. "I'll send a Patronus to my brother. _Do not_ leave this house." He snapped, turning on the spot, disapparating with a _pop_ that echoed through the quiet pub.

Hermione stared at Regulus in terror. _Marlene…_ She took a look at his red hands and suddenly felt nauseated. She ran towards the trash bin on the other side of the counter, bent over it and retched. And again. When she had vomited her stomach empty, she stood up, shaking from head to toe.

"Let's go upstairs." She stammered, taking a hold of his elbow. Regulus followed her without restraint as she led them to their sitting room on the second floor and gestured for him to sit down on the couch. It was like she was in someone else's body. She moved and spoke, but her mind was still downstairs, paused on the last words he had uttered to her. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Reg…What happened? Is Marley okay?" She whispered, glancing at his hands again. Her face twisted with revulsion. _No…She couldn't be dead…He had meant something else. Perhaps there was something else, something he'd left out?_

He was still crying silently, and lifted his head to look into her eyes. "I'm sorry Hermione," He mumbled. "I'm so sorry." He said grievously.

Hermione let out a loud sob. "No!" She gasped. "No!" She yelled. Tears were burning her eyes and flowing down her cheeks. She took a few strides towards him and slapped him hard on his cheek. He only stared at her with a sorrowful look in his grey eyes.

"No!" She screamed, sobbing hysterically. She slapped him again. He didn't even move.

Hermione buried her face in her hands and sank on her knees on the floor, letting out loud, convulsive gasps as she wept.

They stayed like that, Regulus on the couch, staring at the fireplace with an empty look in his eyes and Hermione on the floor, numbly looking into nothingness. It felt like hours had passed until they heard noise from downstairs. Ab had come back. They both leaped on their feet, both gripping their wands, just in case, staring at the door to the staircase intently.

"It's me, Mione. I'm okay." Ab grunted from the stairs and soon he opened the door. Hermione lowered her wand and rushed to hug him, crying violently against his chest.

"W-What happened?" Hermione stammered with a thick voice and pulled back to meet his eyes.

Ab sighed. "McKinnons. None of them survived." He said gravely. Hermione gasped and broke down to another set of sobs.

Ab soothed her hair and held her close to him for a while. Regulus stood further in the room, watching them silently.

"Go to rest, Hermione. Both of you. We'll talk in the morning." Ab said eventually, looking grief-stricken and tired. He broke off their embrace and gave Hermione a look that told her to obey.

Hermione nodded stiffly.

"It's best if you stayed here tonight," Ab said to Regulus, and gave a final pat on Hermione's shoulder, before he vanished to the stairway, heading downstairs.

"Come on." Hermione muttered to Regulus, slowly walking upstairs. Regulus followed her, and they both were silent as they washed up and changed into their pyjamas – Regulus borrowed a set of Harry's old clothes Hermione dug from her beaded bag – and lay down on her bed.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," she whispered, as she stared at the ceiling.

"It's all right," he said quietly.

"Can you hold me?" Hermione said with a broken voice. She needed to feel warm again. She needed him to take away the cold, the numbness.

"Of course, love." He said softly, pulling her back against his chest, enveloping her in a snug embrace.

Hermione was glad he'd managed to scrub the blood off his hands. She quickly shook the thoughts from her head. She didn't want to think about it now, even though the question burned in her head. She was afraid to learn the truth.

* * *

 **March 25th 1978 (Saturday)**

The next morning, Hermione woke up alone in her bed. She briefly thought – hoped - that last night had simply been a horrible nightmare, but the feeling soon disappeared and grief took place in her mind again as she saw Regulus sitting in an armchair close to her bed, leaning his elbows against his knees, his face buried in his hands.

"Reg?" She croaked, sitting up in her bed. Her voice was hoarse from all the crying and screaming last night.

Regulus turned slowly to look at her. He looked tormented. He looked beaten. He looked guilty. She could see it all in his eyes.

"What happened?" She asked unwillingly, dreading his answer. Even though she didn't want to hear what he had to say, she knew she needed to hear it from him.

He was silent for a while, eyeing her mournfully. "I was there." He whispered.

Hermione pressed her lips together to prevent herself from letting out a sob.

"There were ten Death Eaters, myself included, and we…attacked the McKinnons' home." He said, his voice faltering, his eyes slowly moving over her face.

Hermione gritted her teeth. She wasn't going to cry now. She needed to hear everything there was to know about it. "Did you kill someone?" She asked with a strained voice, her face scrunching up in dread. She had to know. It would be too much. _Marlene…_

Regulus shook his head, clenching his jaw, looking nauseated.

She felt a small tinge of relief, but something in his expression made her stomach twist with terror. "Then whose blood was it?" She demanded coldly.

Regulus blanched. "Marlene's."

Suddenly the air seemed to leave her lungs, and she couldn't breathe. "No…" She gasped.

His face was twisted with pain and self-loathing. "Lestrange cut her. Then he wanted to have her without her resisting. I had to hold her down." He said with his voice thick with despair, a wretched look in his eyes.

Hermione cried aloud. _He'd just stood there and watched when someone he knew was tortured and molested?_

"How could you do that?" She whispered bitterly, tears seeping from her eyes, her whole body shaking with horror. "How _could_ you?!" She screamed.

Regulus took a wavering breath, and his eyes filled with tears.

Ab knocked on the door. "Hermione…Can I come in?" He asked.

"Y-Yes." She stuttered, wiping her wet face.

Ab came in and eyed the situation warily before he turned to Regulus. "The Headmaster is downstairs expecting you." He said grimly.

Regulus nodded and stood up, exiting the room after one last sorrowful glance at Hermione.

Ab sat down on the edge of her bed, taking in her blotchy skin and red nose. He looked at her sad eyes and pulled her into a comforting hug.

* * *

 **March 27th 1978 (Monday)**

The news of the McKinnon family raid had reached everyone before Sunday, as it had been printed in the Daily Prophet. Hermione had contacted her friends on Saturday morning, and the boys had come to visit her at the pub later that night. Peter, Alice and Mary couldn't come, as their parents had insisted that they should stay at home and not travel anywhere before the school started. Lily was visiting her relatives, but she had managed to persuade her parents to let her leave to school earlier, and had agreed to spend the weekend at Hermione's before the school started.

The Hog's Head had been closed during the weekend, but on Monday, it was back in business. While Ab was quite busy downstairs, Hermione, James, Sirius and Remus were upstairs in the sitting room, silently staring at the fire and exchanging few words every now and then. The boys had decided to spend the Monday evening with Hermione in the pub before they would travel to James's home on Tuesday to spend the rest of their holiday there.

James sighed and eyed his Butterbeer bottle with a displeased look. "I wish I had Firewhiskey. This is just depressing…" James said absently, taking a swig from the bottle.

Hermione pursed her lips at him. "You're welcome to go downstairs to the pub," She said with a challenging look. She knew the boys wouldn't dare. Even though they were of-age, the bartender was still her 'father'.

James rolled his eyes. "Like that's gonna happen…"

Sirius gave James a sad little smile. "Luckily you have mates who think of everything," He said and placed a Firewhiskey bottle on the table, smirking slightly as Hermione arched a brow at him. "Happy birthday, Prongs."

James gave him a satisfied nod. "Cheers, mate."

"That better not be nicked from downstairs," Hermione said warningly.

Sirius merely shook his head as he summoned glasses from Hermione's kitchen and filled the glasses with the liquor, handing one to everyone. They toasted for James and then remained quiet.

There were no raging birthday parties, no spin the bottle, no dancing or cheering. There were only four friends sitting next to each other in a comfortable silence, occasionally sipping their drinks while reminiscing someone they'd lost.

Hermione knew Marlene had been closer with the other seventh year Gryffindors, as they'd known each other for several years. While she was sad because of her death, she was more shocked because she'd known it would happen, but she hadn't managed to stop it. Somehow it made her feel responsible. And frightened. _What if she couldn't save them after all?_

* * *

 **April 2nd 1978 (Sunday)**

The week had gone quickly. Everyone was still on alert because of the raid. The Daily Prophet had published instructions for safety, and Hermione could see that the streets in Hogsmeade were abnormally quiet. But nothing more had happened. Voldemort's troops hadn't struck again. Hermione had learned that none of the muggles had died on the night of the raid, but only suffered several injuries, and she reckoned that it had probably served as a diversion.

Regulus had sent her a message, to ask if he could come to see her on Sunday evening. At first, she hadn't wanted to see him. She resented his actions during the raid, but at the same time, she felt ashamed how she had acted towards him, when he clearly had been in so much pain and feeling guilty for what he'd seen and done. A small part of her knew it was unreasonable to blame him like that, but was it really so that he hadn't had any choice in the matter? She had eventually answered him and agreed to meet him.

Hermione was sitting in their living room on Sunday evening, a teacup warming her hands as she stared at the fire. The door from the stairs opened.

Hermione turned to look at the stairway and saw Regulus closing the door behind him. He walked towards her, eyeing her with an unreadable expression. She stood up, placed her cup on the table and turned to him, staring at him unsurely. When she saw a hint of desolation in his eyes, she sighed longingly and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Regulus let out a deep breath, a choked sob, and pulled her closer to him, his hands gently caressing her neck and back as he trembled against her.

They stayed like that for a while, until she broke their embrace, looking up to him.

"I'm sorry you had to be there." She whispered, looking at him searchingly, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye as she thought of last week.

He looked at her dejectedly, brushing the tear away with his thumb, and the weariness in his eyes racked her insides.

"Reg…" She whispered. "Talk to me, okay?"

He averted his eyes, breaking away from their embrace and walked to sit on the couch where she had been moments earlier.

"What do you wish to know?" He asked with a blank voice. He rested his elbows against his knees and looked down, his hair framing his face. Hermione sighed inwardly, and sat gently next to him.

"Don't close yourself off from me, Regulus…Please…" She said with a trembling voice, pushing his hair away from his face to see him better.

"What the fuck do you want me to say, Hermione?" He growled, turning to look at her, his grey eyes blazing with anger. With fear. With guilt.

Hermione flinched.

"I'm fucking terrified," He said harshly, rubbing his face angrily and looking away. "I don't even want to think about it," He said, his voice thick with emotion, a nauseated look in his eyes.

Her heart ached for him. "Can I hold you?" She whispered after a short silence.

He nodded, glancing at her, an empty and lost look in his eyes. Hermione pulled him close to her and Regulus pressed his face against her neck, shuddering as she held him tightly.

There was a long silence before he spoke. "How does it happen?" He asked quietly, not moving up to look at her.

"What?" She asked softly, having quite a good suspicion of what he was talking about.

"My death."

Hermione sighed. She knew they had to talk about it, eventually.

"You were on a mission. Trying to destroy _him_." She said vaguely, not sure if this was the right moment to talk about Horcruxes.

"How?" He asked sharply.

"You were drowned by an army of Inferi." She said gravely.

Regulus was quiet for a moment before he snorted. "That sounds fucking ridiculous." He said dryly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well. I guess you'll never have to find out exactly how ridiculous it is." She said snidely.

She could feel him grin against her skin before he placed a tender kiss to her neck.

"Reg…" Hermione breathed as he began to trail soft kisses along her neck and jaw, his hands caressing her sides, pulling her closer to him.

"We shouldn't…We have so much to talk about…" She said unsurely. She wanted him, of course, but she knew they had to talk about the future eventually. They had to talk about everything.

Regulus sucked her neck and made her gasp. "I can't. I don't give a fuck. Not now." He said harshly, as his hands moved to caress her thighs.

Soon they were both breathing heavily, and Hermione's fingers had found their way into his hair, gripping him, pulling him closer as he ravaged her mouth with his lips. She arched to him, moaned into his mouth as he caressed the junction of her thighs through her jeans.

"Reg…" She whimpered.

With a low groan, he pulled her onto his lap to straddle him, never breaking the kiss.

He moaned as she rocked her hips against his pelvis. He gripped her bum and pulled her tightly against his erection. "Circe…I have to have you, love," he said with a strangled voice.

A delicious shiver went through her spine as she saw him staring at her with such hunger and such devastation.

"My room." She said, her voice shaking.

* * *

A while after they were in Hermione's bedroom, draped around each other and relishing the warmth of one another.

"Shower with me?" He asked quietly, when Hermione started to shiver slightly in the cool air.

"Okay," She said softly.

She stood up from his lap and went to the cupboard, grabbed two towels and handed him the other after draping the other around her. Their eyes finally met and he was staring at her intently.

"What?" Hermione asked hesitantly, seeming a bit uneasy under his stare.

"Nothing." He said sombrely.

Regulus couldn't help but think that while he was giving away his soul to the Dark Lord's cause, she would be his anchor, the one thing that kept him sane. Even though he knew that what they had, wouldn't - couldn't - last long, he still wanted to have every single memory of her he could get. Because the reality was that he was going to be a Death Eater and she was with the Light. And he knew that very soon would come that day when she couldn't be in his life anymore.

* * *

After showering, they retreated back to Hermione's bedroom and went straight to bed, as it was already late. Hermione was glad that Ab was still busy in the pub, and thus being oblivious to the occurrences taking place upstairs.

They were snuggling against each other, her back against his chest, his arms circling around her, holding her close to him, and Hermione had already drifted into a soft slumber when he spoke quietly to her ear.

"Tell me about them."

She blinked. "Who?"

"Your friends."

She turned to face him. "Harry and Ron?" She whispered with a frown.

He nodded, staring at her with a searching look.

Hermione sighed, her mind whirling as he thought what to say. "We met in the Hogwarts Express, our first year, but we didn't become friends right away." She said, looking at his bare chest. "I was kind of a know-it-all, and didn't really have any friends at first…"

" _Was?"_ He asked with a hint of a smirk on his lips. Hermione narrowed her eyes to him. He grinned back.

"But then we became best friends, and were like that, until…until I came here." She finished with a frown.

"Do you want to go back?" He asked softly, his fingers drawing patterns against her stomach.

Hermione took a deep breath. "I…I don't know," She whispered earnestly.

The truth was that she didn't really know anymore. Somehow, this life here had become important to her, the people here, _her friends_ , they meant something to her, while the memories of her old life drifted further and further away. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave this new life behind, if she somehow would manage to find a solution to travel back to her old life.

Of course, she missed them - Harry and Ron, the Weasleys and her parents. But what if the future she knew didn't exist to her anymore? She had already changed things, and didn't know how that affected the future. Even though she had a strong suspicion that she was indeed in an alternate timeline, she couldn't know for certain.

And even if the last week's raid proved that she couldn't rewrite everyone's fate, she knew that she _had been_ able to change at least some things. What if she was able to change her friends' lives to the better? Harry could have his parents and Sirius, Neville could have his parents, and Ron and Ginny could have their uncles. Was she really that selfish that she'd deny that from them?

Regulus kissed her forehead and pulled her snugly against him, breathing in her scent, seemingly savouring the feel of her body against his. Soon they drifted into sleep in each other's arms.

* * *

 **April 7th 1978 (Friday)**

Lily arrived at Hogsmeade on Thursday night, surprising Hermione, as she'd thought her friend would be arriving the next day, on Friday. Nevertheless, Hermione was grateful for her arrival, even if they did spend the first night crying over the loss of their friend.

Lily hadn't seen James during the holidays, but they had owled each other nearly every day. Even so, it seemed that she couldn't wait to see him on Sunday, when they'd be returning to school. Hermione and Lily had agreed to rest and relax during the weekend, as both girls were way ahead in their studies, having completed their homework days ago. The only plan was to visit Tomes and Scrolls on Friday and buy the newest wizarding novels there was, and then get back to the Hog's Head and be absorbed in them.

"So, about today…" Lily said as she took a piece of toast and lathed some jam on it. They were having breakfast on the second floor of the pub. Ab was occupied with his paper and tea, while the girls made themselves breakfast and talked about the books they were hoping to find in the book shop.

"Yes?" Hermione asked and took a sip of her coffee.

Lily cringed a bit. "I know we agreed to take it easy, and just stay here, but James owled me, and…" She said, glancing in Ab's direction.

"He wants to see you?" Hermione asked, a bit amused by her friend's troubled look.

"Well…Yes…He and the guys are coming to Hogsmeade today, and he asked for us to meet them in the Three Broomsticks, if that's okay with you?" Lily asked, waiting Hermione's answer in anticipation.

Hermione suppressed a chuckle as she saw a faint smirk tugging Ab's lips. "Of course. What time are we meeting them?"

* * *

Hermione, Sirius and Remus sat at a corner table in the Three Broomsticks, and even though the village had been quiet after the raid, the business was now slowly improving, and that meant the pub was nearly packed that night. They had a couple rounds of Butterbeer together while they chatted about their holidays. Everyone had decided to leave the raid out of discussion, as it would've been too depressing.

Later on, Hermione realised that James and Lily had been away from their table quite some time. As she was about to go to the bar and ask Rosmerta if she'd seen them, Sirius pulled her back to their table, a grin curving his lips.

"They're fine, Hermione." He said and shared a knowing look with Remus.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean, fine? Where are they?" She snapped, eyeing the boys with a stern look.

Sirius laughed. "Don't look at us with your judge-y little eyes. They're probably just shagging in the restroom." He said with a small lift in his brows, while Remus shook his head.

Hermione scrunched up her nose. "Ugh. Thank you for sharing that, Sirius." She said snidely.

"You asked. Is someone feeling a bit sour tonight, huh?" He asked teasingly. "Reggie been brushing you off?" He asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"Pads…" Remus said with a warning in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you must know, I'm quite satisfied in that area," She said with a smirk of her own.

Sirius groaned, his expression resembling something between nauseated and repulsed.

She shrugged. "You asked."

"You're evil, Hermione." Sirius muttered and shook his head in disbelief.

Remus let out an exasperated huff and went to buy them the next round. As their werewolf friend left the table, Sirius turned to look at Hermione with a thoughtful expression.

"You've seen him lately?" He asked vaguely.

Hermione frowned. "Why?"

The look in his grey eyes hardened. "Do you know where he was on Easter Friday?"

Hermione grimaced. But that was all he needed to know. Sirius clenched his jaw and cursed silently.

"Sirius…You know he's on our side…" She whispered to him, after glancing around them.

He narrowed his eyes to her. "So, he's forgiven when he kills one of my friends?" He said darkly.

Hermione blanched. "He didn't…Sirius, we can't discuss this here!" She hissed to him.

Sirius scowled at her but said nothing more to the subject.

Soon Remus came back to the table with their drinks, and saw the tension between his two friends. There was an awkward silence before they continued their discussion about school and Sirius's motorcycle, which the boys had apparently been fixing during the holidays, until Lily and James joined them, both in an obviously dishevelled state.

* * *

 **April 9th 1978 (Sunday)**

Marlene's and her family's funeral had been the day before. Many members of the Order had been present, since Marlene's parents had been part of the organisation. Marlene's and her sister's friends had attended, as well as some of their relatives. The Ministry had placed several Aurors to provide security just in case, but luckily nothing exceptional had happened during the burial. As Hermione had watched everyone cry and mourn their losses, she'd only been able to blame herself for not having prevented it from happening.

On Sunday night, the girls left the Hog's Head and walked to the school. The students were arriving from the train station as they reached the front doors, and it felt like everyone was staring at Hermione and Lily. _Of course…because of Marlene…_

The boys, Mary and Alice were already sitting at their house table, saving seats for them. Hermione sat next to Mary, opposite to Alice. She was now sitting where Marlene used to sit, and the others seemed to notice it too. Everyone was quiet, even though every other student around them was chattering and laughing with each other. _Well, not everyone_ , Hermione thought when she snuck a glance at the Slytherin table. Regulus and Snape were sitting there, staring blankly ahead, both of them paler than usual.

"Any problems in the train?" Lily asked from Remus after the Headmaster had welcomed them back and said a couple of words about the McKinnons and after they'd had a moment of silence to acknowledge their deaths.

The Head students were expected to patrol Hogwarts Express, but since Lily had stayed at Hermione's for the whole weekend, James had been the only Head student in the train on Sunday.

James turned to look at Lily. "Why don't you ask me? I'm the Head boy," He said incredulously.

Lily arched a brow at him. "Are you seriously asking me that, Potter?" She asked wearily. "Ugh. Don't even think about it, Black," She added when she saw that Sirius grinning at her.

Hermione's lips turned up slightly. It was just so… _normal_. Lily and James bickering. Lily snapping at Sirius as he tried to joke and make stupid puns. Hermione knew they were far from normal, but still, a glimpse of this reminded everyone that everything was not lost.

* * *

As the feast was over, and everyone started to drift towards their dorms, Sirius stayed behind, mumbling something about going for a smoke. The others thought nothing of it, and continued their walk towards the Gryffindor Tower without him.

Sirius didn't make his way to the grounds, but slipped into a broom closet on the first floor and took the Marauder's Map from his pockets, flipping it open and tapping it with his wand.

" _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_ ," He muttered, and eyed the parchment intently for a moment, before flicking his wand on it again. " _Mischief managed_ ," He recited and made his way towards the dungeons.

Regulus knew that his brother would want an explanation about the raid and his participation in it. Sirius knew he was a spy, but Regulus reckoned Sirius still doubted his allegiance with the Order, and that Sirius feared Regulus would be easily persuaded to the dark side. As if anticipating that his brother would confront him after the feast, Regulus decided to walk slowly towards the Slytherin dungeons.

"Hello, Reggie." Sirius said coldly, walking quickly towards Regulus, who stilled in mid-walk.

He turned around to look at his brother, who was practically seething with anger. "Sirius." He nodded. "If you wish to talk to me, I suggest we get out of the halls…" He said quietly, staring blankly at his brother.

"Fine. Where?" Sirius asked impatiently.

Regulus jerked his head towards a near classroom. "There." He muttered and walked into the room. Sirius followed and after closing the door, he threw a few privacy spells on it.

"So? What did you want to talk about?" Regulus asked calmly. He of course knew what was on his brother's mind, but he let him do the talking.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "You know what. You were in the raid." He growled.

"Yes." Regulus said plainly.

Anger flashed in Sirius's eyes before he surged forward and punched Regulus in the face, knocking him down and breaking his nose in the process. "I fucking new it!" He spat at Regulus, who was now holding his bleeding nose with one hand, as he stood up with the help of the other.

"Did you kill someone?" Sirius asked with a hateful look.

"No. I didn't." Regulus said quietly and eyed his brother warily, trying not to flinch from the way his brother looked at him back. Like he was disgusted with Regulus. Like he loathed him.

"But you were there. You were fucking there…You – what, watched on the sides when they killed her? When they raped her?" Sirius spat, baring his teeth.

Regulus blanched, his eyes widening with dread.

"Oh, don't look so surprised, Reggie. I know how your new friends function," Sirius growled at him. "You're just a fucking coward."

Regulus swallowed bile from his throat, trying to stay calm. Trying to shake away all the memories from Easter Friday that were threatening to overpower him. "I know," He said hoarsely, looking at Sirius with regret. "I'm not like you, Sirius. I'm not brave…" He continued, his voice wavering.

Sirius gaped at him, seemingly speechless when seeing his brother's façade crumbling down.

"I was just so…so frightened." Regulus breathed, giving his brother a pleading look, his face screwed up in pain. His whole neck was now covered in blood that had seeped from his broken nose.

Sirius frowned, looking contemplative. Regulus knew that Sirius understood that he hadn't had any choice – otherwise he'd been killed as well for disobeying rules.

Sirius let out a weary sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I hate it. I hate that you're part of it…" He said quietly and then gave Regulus a look filled with regret. "And I hate myself for letting you join them…for not being able to look after my little brother…" He muttered, swallowing hard as his face scrunched up with quilt and worry.

It was the most honest thing his brother had ever said to him. Regulus could only try to breathe calmly and not let the emotions that were surging inside of him take control. Clenching his jaw, he gave his brother a curt nod. "Thank you," He whispered, not trusting himself to say more without breaking down.

Sirius seemed to understand, as his lips curved slightly up. "Come here, Reggie." He said tightly and walked closer, wrapping him in a bear hug.

Regulus pressed his eyes closed and let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he hadn't lost his brother after all.


	28. Dark and desolate

**A/N:** Thank you for your inspiring reviews, and thanks to everyone who is reading, following, favouriting - I'm glad you're all enjoying the story :) A bit gloomy chapter ahead, but it was expected, I think...

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Dark and desolate**

 **April 10th 1978 (Monday)**

On Monday morning, Hermione was startled when she glanced at the Slytherin table while having her breakfast. Regulus sat there next to Snape like always, but she could see that something had happened to him. There was faint bruising on his nose and under his eyes. She quickly searched the charmed galleon from her schoolbag and sent him a message.

 _What happened? –HD_

Regulus glanced at her, and the coin warmed in her hand.

 _Nothing to worry about –RB_

Hermione scoffed and narrowed her eyes at him. Someone had punched him in the face, and she could make a fair guess who. Her eyes moved along their table and stopped at Sirius, who was nursing a cup of coffee, looking bleary eyed and sullen, as did the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors. Hermione sighed inwardly.

 _Meet me in RoR after lunch. –HD_

Regulus glanced at her and gave her a curt nod.

* * *

After breakfast, the seventh year Gryffindors waited in the hallway for their Defence class to start.

"Sirius? Can I have a word?" Hermione asked, eyeing him tentatively. He looked slightly annoyed.

He sighed. "Yeah, okay," He said and they moved further along the hall, while their friends eyed them with curious expressions.

"Look, Hermione. I think I know what you are on about…" He muttered, looking at her tiredly.

"You punched him?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing. "Do you think that was necessary? That he hasn't been through enough?" She asked quietly, lifting her brows to make a point.

Sirius clenched his jaw. "Leave it, Hermione." He said moodily and walked back to their friends.

Hermione gaped at him. _What the hell was wrong with him?_

She didn't have time to find out as Gideon had arrived and the students were slowly walking into the classroom. During their double lesson they focused on dark creatures, such as Lethifolds, Basilisks and Chimaeras, and Hermione could feel Gideon's eyes glancing at her every now and then.

After Gideon had announced their class to be over, he asked for Hermione to stay behind. When everyone had left, Gideon and Hermione moved into Gideon's office and sat down on opposite sides at his desk. Hermione studied his features carefully. His brows were furrowed and he had an exhausted look in his blue eyes. She reckoned he too was affected by the raid. She wondered if he had been close with the McKinnons, seeing as they had been in the Order.

Gideon cleared his throat and Hermione was shaken from reverie. "How are you?" He asked as he crossed his fingers on the desk, his eyes boring into hers.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm okay." She was not, but she felt like she would burst if she said anything else.

He frowned. "Do you want to talk about it? The raid?" He asked hesitantly.

Hermione sighed. "No, not really. There's nothing to talk about…" She said, her voice faltering a bit.

"What do you mean?" He asked, slightly curious expression on his face.

She narrowed her eyes. "The damage is done, isn't it?" Hermione asked bitterly, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I told you _everything_ I knew. Regulus put his life at risk when he told me everything _he_ knew. And somehow, the McKinnons died. M-Marlene died." She said, stumbling in her words. "And Regulus… he ended up suffering as well. He has to carry it with him – what he had to do, what he had to witness – for the rest of his life." Hermione said tightly, gritting her teeth in frustration.

Gideon frowned. "Look, Hermione – "

"No. You were supposed to stop it!" She exclaimed, her eyes burning with angry tears. "The Order was supposed to stop it!"

Gideon gave her a sad smile while she breathed heavily. "I was supposed to prevent it." She whispered, looking down. "I was supposed to change things…"

Gideon cleared his throat and stared at her with a solemn look. "I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry we didn't stop it before it was too late. I'm sorry we couldn't save them. But you can't control everything. You have to accept the fact that someone will die eventually. It might happen to someone close to you, and you can't prevent it. It might happen exactly like you knew it would, or it might happen in an entirely different way." He said gravely.

He was silent for a while before he spoke again. "I know this isn't any of my business, but…you're getting too close to him, Hermione." He said, and her eyes snapped to his, a slightly affronted look in her eyes.

"You know as well as I do what I've seen during our Occlumency training." Gideon continued quietly.

Hermione knew he'd seen her spending time with Regulus and that he had felt her feelings towards Regulus.

"It's dangerous. What you're doing. You know what he is, and with whom he's associated. And he might not be able to protect you." He said steadily, staring at her with a worried expression.

Hermione swallowed hard. "You're right. It is none of your concern." She said blankly.

Gideon sighed. "Okay then…I'll see you in next class." He said and gave her a small smile.

Hermione nodded and left the class.

* * *

After lunch, Hermione stepped into the duplicate of Grimmauld Place library, and found Regulus staring at the bookshelf with a pensive look in his eyes.

"Reg…?" She asked as she neared him.

He turned to look at her. "Hey." He merely said.

"Hey." She said as her eyes searched his face, trying to gauge his mood. She worried her lip and took his hand. "How are you feeling?" She asked carefully.

"Fine."

She sighed inwardly. "What happened to your face?" She asked with worry.

"Nothing."

"Reg, please. Don't shut me out, okay?" She said softly, lifting her hand to his cheek and tracing his cheekbone with her thumb. He blinked rapidly.

"It was Sirius…" He muttered, looking away from her when she huffed. "But don't worry about it. We've talked it through already…"

Hermione stared at him in bewilderment. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

"So…The two of you are…speaking to each other again?" She asked hesitantly.

"So it seems."

"Oh…Well, that's something, I guess." She said with a small smile.

He nodded, locking eyes with hers. His intense gaze made her shiver.

"Regulus – "

"Can we not talk about it, love?" He asked, taking a hold of her waist, pulling her closer to him, his eyes drawn to her lips.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked with a frown, while she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Regulus nodded. "I just want to forget about it." He muttered, caressing her waist with his fingertips, bringing his lips close to her ear. "…Help me forget about it…" He murmured against her neck, his warm breath sending shivers down her skin.

Hermione let out a stuttering breath. She only wanted to make it easier for him, but she had thought that they would talk about the raid now. "Okay," She said eventually.

He leaned back a bit and kissed her lips fleetingly. Then he crushed his lips against hers, his touch and taste burning her insides. She gasped in his mouth, and he thrust his tongue in, tasting her, caressing her tongue.

She knew he was unburdening his anguish, seeking distraction, something he could use to bury his feelings somewhere deep. And she let him do it. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted this. So, she let him carry her to his bed and ravage her in ways like never before, leaving them both in a state of delirium.

* * *

 **April 12th 1978 (Wednesday)**

It was the third day of school, and everything seemed to be almost like before. But it wasn't. Everyone around Hermione was feeling down, immersed in their own thoughts, barely doing their schoolwork. During the evenings, the seventh year Gryffindors either sat in their common room gloomily, or retreated early to their respective dorms. It seemed like the cold and desolate weather outside was reflecting everyone's mood. Hermione could see her dorm mates missing their friend dearly, and every time she heard one of them sobbing silently behind the closed curtains of their four-poster beds, she felt another pang of guilt in her stomach, another twist in her chest.

When they had walked into their dorm last Sunday for the first time after Easter break, the girls were greeted with an empty spot in the room where once had been the bed that had belonged to Marlene. Lily and Alice had immediately burst in tears, while Mary had left the dormitory in a huff, returning late, when everyone else was already sleeping.

On Wednesday morning Hermione, Lily and Alice had double Arithmancy class, while the boys and Mary were in the Care of Magical Creatures. As the girls waited silently for their class to start, Hermione let her eyes wander along the hallway. She saw Snape leaning on the wall and eyeing their group every now and then. She examined his features. He was pale, as he always was, but there was something new in his eyes. She could see a hint of remorse in them. _Had he been there? Had he seen Marlene? Had he hurt someone?_

Hermione frowned, and felt her eyes prickling. She looked away and gritted her teeth, willing the tears away. Luckily their Professor appeared and their class was about to start. Hermione walked quickly inside the classroom and took her seat. She knew she would have to have a conversation with Snape soon.

Later that day, Hermione found herself sitting next to Snape in their Potions classroom. They both had been silent for most of the double class, their focus on their brew. Hermione was waiting for the right time to speak to him, but every time she glanced at him and their eyes met, he merely gave her an icy stare in reply. Eventually she sighed and turned towards him. "Snape?" She asked quietly.

"Dumbledore." He gritted through his teeth.

"Um…Could I have a word? After the class?" She asked hesitantly.

He narrowed his eyes. "If it's about the potion, then by all means, say it now. I have no interest whatsoever engaging into a discussion with you about anything else." He said coldly.

Hermione's eyes lifted in a mild surprise. He was angry. She only nodded at him and turned back to their cauldron. At the end of their lesson, Snape stormed away and left her to clean the table and deliver their sample to Slughorn.

Regulus wasn't much better than Snape. Hermione had met him in the Room of Requirement twice already, and during both times he hadn't said almost anything to her. He had only sought comfort from her and kept her close to him before they parted their ways and returned back to their separate quarters.

* * *

Hermione and Remus decided to head towards the library after their Potions class while James and Sirius left to their Quidditch practice and the rest of their group opted to study in their common room.

"How are you getting by?" Remus asked softly as they sat down at their usual table and pulled their books, quills and parchments from their schoolbags.

Hermione sighed. "I'm okay, I guess…I mean, I miss Marley, of course. But I think it's harder for the girls. You know, they lived with her for almost seven years…They knew each other so well…" Hermione said, her voice trembling slightly. She tried to ignore the voice in her head that reminded her of how she hadn't been able to save her.

"And you?" Hermione asked carefully, glancing at him.

Remus frowned. "I don't know…It's like one of us is missing. You know…Even though I'm closer with the guys, and rarely spent time with her, she was still around. I was used to seeing her, even more so when she dated Sirius." He said pensively and was silent for a moment. "Perhaps it gets easier with time, right?"

Hermione hummed in response. They continued to do their homework in silence for a while.

"Is…everything okay with you and Sirius?" Remus asked after some time, eyeing her closely.

She shrugged. "I suppose. He's angry about what happened to Marley and her family. I think he suspects that his family had something to do with it…" she said unsurely.

Remus nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense." He said slowly and gave her a searching look.

"So, how did the meeting go?" Hermione asked, changing the subject as she didn't want to talk about the raid. "You know, with Belby?"

Suddenly the grim look Remus had on his face disappeared and was replaced with a hesitant grin. "It was great! I mean, I'm going to participate in his study, and I'll be going to Germany as soon as we have graduated."

Hermione's smile faltered. "You'll be gone? For how long?"

He shrugged. "Couple of months, half a year. Something like that."

"Does Mary know about this?" She asked carefully, not really wanting to ruin his happiness.

Remus sighed and rubbed his face. "No…And I'm not going to tell her."

Hermione's brows shot up. "What? Why? But she'll be wondering where you are…" She said incredulously.

He gave her a guilty frown but said nothing.

Then she understood. "You're going to break up with her…" She said quietly.

Remus averted his eyes from hers, as if he couldn't look how they were boring into him with such disappointment.

"It's for the best." He muttered, staring at his transfiguration book which lay open at the table.

Hermione scoffed. "For her? Or for you?"

"Hermione, can we not talk about this?" He asked tightly, looking at her with annoyance.

She sighed, but eventually nodded and didn't push further. She could only hope that he would change his mind.

* * *

"It's like you wish an early death." Regulus said as he neared his brother who was leaning against the back of greenhouse number three, inhaling smoke into his lungs.

Sirius turned to look at him and lifted his brows. "A bit early for the death jokes, huh?"

Regulus grimaced and averted his eyes.

"Oh, come off it." Sirius said and took the pack of cigarettes from his pockets. "Here. Take one."

Regulus arched a brow. "That's vile."

"I know. But the girls love it," Sirius said with a wink.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that…" He muttered but took one eventually.

"That's more like it, little brother." Sirius chuckled. "I have to say I'm thrilled that you finally have the sense to follow my lead," He said with a small smile curving his lips.

"Sod off." Regulus grumbled, and coughed when he inhaled the smoke.

Sirius barked a laugh.

"So…How are you doing?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence, filled by only the sound of inhaling and exhaling the smoke.

Regulus merely shrugged.

Sirius frowned and eyed his brother carefully as he took a long drag from his cigarette, before tossing it away. "Listen, Reggie…I know we aren't exactly best mates or anything and probably will never return to the way we once were," He said heavily.

"But…You know…I'm here for you, brother. If you don't push me away," Sirius continued softly, staring at his brother intently.

Regulus glanced at him, a spray of emotions coursing through him. Regulus saw how serious his brother looked, how worried he was. He couldn't find the right words so he only nodded to him in reply.

* * *

 **April 15th 1978 (Saturday)**

On Saturday night, Hermione met Dumbledore, McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian in the Headmaster's office.

"First I would like to talk about the McKinnon raid, and then perhaps we could go through our current situation with the Horcruxes." Dumbledore said to everyone, his expression solemn.

Of course, the Order had gathered immediately after the raid, right after Dumbledore had questioned Regulus and Hermione in the Hog's Head. Hermione didn't know what the Headmaster had asked from Regulus, and truth to be told, she wasn't sure she even wanted to know. What Regulus had told her was surely just scraping the subject and it had been enough to make her horrified. She couldn't even imagine the terrors he'd seen.

"Hermione?" Dumbledore said, eyeing her. Hermione blinked, startled out of her reverie.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to share your thoughts? Your feelings?" He asked kindly.

Hermione suspected that Gideon had had a talk with the Headmaster about her harsh words regarding the Order and the raid. She sighed. "It should've been prevented." She said with a frown. "It wasn't supposed to happen."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, it should have been prevented."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "Why wasn't it?" She asked, the anger growing inside her. "Why? I gave you every bit of information I had. You – the Order was supposed to prevent it!" Hermione said roughly.

Dumbledore gave her a sad smile.

"Hermione…We did everything we could…" Gideon said quietly.

Hermione scowled at him. "That's wasn't enough though," She snapped.

Gideon looked back wearily and ran a hand through his hair. "Every single member of the Order knew when the raid was taking place. Everyone took precautions to add security. And it wasn't enough." He said grimly.

"You can't blame the Order, Hermione. Or yourself. The Order, or you for that matter are not responsible of the McKinnons' deaths. Voldemort is. His followers are. Those who willingly follow him, those who revel in hurting others." Dumbledore said gravely, staring at Hermione intently.

Hermione clenched her jaw. She wished it wouldn't be like this. The guilt was slowly eating her insides. She felt they should've been able to do something, to prevent the raid. To stop the Death Eaters. Anything. She felt responsible. She knew this wasn't how it had happened before, because the McKinnons had been attacked some years from now, but still, it felt like she should've prevented it.

"I happen to agree with the Headmaster, Hermione." McGonagall said sternly. "The only one who should be blamed is Voldemort." She said with a determined expression.

The Prewetts nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore gave McGonagall a small smile before he turned to look at Hermione again. "I think the only thing we can do is to honour those who have left this world and to keep ourselves focused in our goals. And also try to be more prepared in the future. Do you agree?" He asked, looking at her kindly.

Hermione swallowed. "Yes." She said softly.

They were all silent for a while.

"I suggest we now move on to our next subject. Does anyone have any new information about the possible locations of the Diadem?" Dumbledore asked and eyed the others expectantly.

"I haven't found anything while searching through the books in the library." Hermione said with a small shrug.

"Same here." Gideon said. Fabian and McGonagall shook their heads.

"Then we shall continue the research, and hopefully stumble on something." Dumbledore said simply, and continued. "And what about your research with the potion?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Hermione.

She sighed. "Well, I've found a couple of possibilities while researching and reading books, but I don't know whether I have found the one that is used in the cave," She said unsurely.

"Actually, I have some news on that front." McGonagall said and drew herself up in her seat. "I inquired about these kinds of potions from a good friend, discreetly, may I add." She said and glanced at the others. Fabian tried to supress a grin, while Dumbledore eyed her with a pleased look. "My friend is a potioneer, and he wrote me a list of several potential poisons and their antidotes. Here's the list," McGonagall continued and handed the parchment to Dumbledore.

He inspected it for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I can see these are all very challenging to prepare. In order to produce one potion that would work as an antidote for all the mind-altering and torture potions listed in here, you first would have to prepare every single potion from the list, successfully for that matter. Are you up for it, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked and handed the parchment to Hermione.

She read the list quickly, her eyes widening a bit. Challenging was an understatement. They were nearly impossible to brew without the risk of making a mistake. _How in the name of Merlin was she supposed to brew these?_

"I'm up for it." She said finally and pocketed the list. She just had to practice like hell.

The others gave her pleased looks while Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Brilliant. Now there's one more thing for us to consider," he said, and everyone turned to look at him with expectant looks.

"As I haven't yet received any information about other means to use against the Horcruxes, our only option to destroy them, is with the Fiendfyre curse." He said and gave the others a mildly apologising look.

Hermione assumed that the others as well had hoped for another solution, based on the disappointed looks on their faces. She was with them on this one.

"Are you ready for another session?" Dumbledore asked carefully. Everyone nodded grimly.

As Hermione left the Headmaster's office and walked towards the Room of Requirement, her thoughts were focused on the fact that she would have to face the Fiendfyre again. She knew she was ready. And she was determined not to let Regulus suffer because of her mistakes this time. That was something she _could_ control. _If there was nothing else, she could at least do that,_ she thought, a lump forming in her throat again as memories flashed in her mind.

The last time she had been in the cave and was nearly succumbed by the cursed flames, every burn and cut she had received were all passed on to Regulus. Because of the bracelet. She had found out about it afterwards, when she had seen the fading marks on his chest and arms. Needless to say, it had been horrifying. She had tried to apologise, but Regulus had only brushed her off, insisting it was nothing.

Later that night Hermione fell asleep in Regulus's arms with distressing thoughts circling her mind. _What if she couldn't save him? What if he would only suffer because of her?_

* * *

 **April 16th 1978 (Sunday)**

As Hermione woke up in the Room of Requirement the next morning, she decided to head to the library to grab the essential books she would need for the potions McGonagall had on her list. If she had the time, she would start testing one of the potions in the potions lab. Some of the potions included instructions, and as for the rest of the potions, she knew she could find the instructions in the books in the library's Restricted Section, now that she knew which potions she was going to brew.

"I know you're awake." Regulus murmured to her neck. "I can hear your brain working."

Hermione chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Mm-hmm." He hummed. He pushed her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips against her nape, kissing the spot lightly, leaving it just a little bit wet. Then he breathed warm air from his nose to the spot, making her tremble in his arms. A tingle of anticipation ran through her. He continued his ministrations with her neck while his hands skimmed over her body. Soon she was writhing against him, aching for him and feeling exactly how awake he was as he pressed himself against her.

* * *

After lunch, Hermione was heading towards the potions lab. She had visited the Restricted Section in the library after she had left the Room of Requirement, and had found a few promising books about some of the potions on McGonagall's list.

Feeling slightly ashamed of herself, she realised the last time she had been in the potions lab was months ago. She had been focusing on school, practicing Fiendfyre, practicing Occlumency, and, well…on everything else. As she reached the lab which was close to their Potions classroom in the dungeons, Hermione pushed the door open, not really expecting for anyone to be there. But there was. Snape.

She blanched, halting in place. "What are you doing in here?" She asked, her voice wavering a bit from the surprise.

He glanced at her from his cauldron. "Might ask you the same thing." He said snidely, his focus returning back to his potion.

She blinked. "Are you doing schoolwork?" She asked, even though she knew he wasn't. He was her potions partner and they _always_ handed their assignments to Slughorn in time.

He merely gave her an arched brow.

Hermione's brows lifted. So, Snape was there brewing his own potions…

"What are you working on?" She asked, intrigued by what he was brewing, and walked towards his table.

He didn't glance away from his cauldron, where he kept stirring the potion. "None of your concern."

Hermione huffed and turned away from him, shaking her head. She decided to begin her attempt on the first potion on the list. As the room was quite small, and there were only three separate desks, she put her belongings to the furthest one from him and began to work.

After an hour or so, she was making progress with her potion. At least she thought she was.

"Planning to kill someone?" Snape asked indifferently from his place.

Hermione startled. She had forgotten he was there. And apparently, he had immediately figured out what she was doing.

"Why?" She asked innocently, not turning to look at him.

She could feel him approach her. He stopped when he was near the edge of her table.

"Even if you look like it, you don't need to act like a simple-minded bint." He said with a faint sneer.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, thank you for the compliment, Severus." She said with a sweet smile before turning back to her cauldron. _She was going to screw it up, she just knew it…_ Hermione thought as she wiped her brow. She also couldn't help to feel a bit worried that Snape knew what she was brewing. Would he keep his mouth shut?

"How fast did you add the Manchineel Tree Bark Powder?" He asked bluntly. Hermione whirled to look at him and narrowed her eyes. _Of course he would know how to do it properly. Even though the potion was too complicated for students to brew…_

"Just a moment ago…Why?" She asked hesitantly, swallowing her pride. He smirked at her.

"What you should've done, was to add it in the beginning. That way it would've had the time to brew the needed time before you added the Bulbadox Juice." He explained, and she could see a hint of enthusiasm cross his eyes.

 _That made sense. But why wasn't it in the instructions?_ She thought bitterly and tried not to reminisce her sixth year where Harry had used the Half-Blood Prince's book in Potions and bested her in every single brew. Snape's book.

"Oh." She said quietly. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "You're welcome. But for your information, I will be testing my drinks on your boyfriend from now on." He said grimly.

Hermione was taken aback. _Boyfriend?_ And then the other thing hit her. _He'd made a joke. Snape had actually joked. With her._

She let out a stifled laugh, surprising him. His mouth curved a bit before he schooled his expression back to a blank look.

Hermione examined his features for a moment. He merely stared back, and she briefly wondered why he was still standing there. "How…How are you?" She asked carefully, searching his eyes.

He lifted his brows in surprise, not certainly expecting that to come out from her mouth. His mouth curved into a sneer. "What do you think?" He asked pointedly. He didn't ask what she had meant. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

Hermione stared at him expectantly. Snape huffed. "You have no idea," He hissed at her, returning to his table.

Hermione sighed, turning to look at him. "I'm sorry. I don't understand. I don't know what you're going through." She said quietly, and saw him flinch. "The door is open for you, you know?" She added quietly.

He glared at her. "I know. That doesn't mean I'll walk through it."

There was a short silence.

"Not even for Lily?" She asked perceptively.

His expression softened a bit and he looked away.

Hermione turned back to her cauldron when he became passive. But then she heard it. He spoke it so softly, that she almost missed it.

" _I'll think about it._ "

* * *

 **April 18th 1978 (Tuesday)**

Since the school had started, Hermione had spent several evenings and nights in the Room of Requirement with Regulus. It seemed that all the seventh year Gryffindor girls were avoiding their dormitory, and even when Hermione had wanted to be there for her friends, it seemed that they weren't ready to talk about the events of the Easter holidays. It had been easier to be away from the empty dorm, and not face the empty spot in the room where Marlene used to sleep. The sight of it was just too painful, too disturbing.

On Tuesday night, Hermione stepped into the seventh-year girls' dormitory and found the room almost empty, yet again, despite it nearing almost curfew. There was only Lily, who lay on her bed, unmoving.

"Lils?" Hermione whispered, not wanting to wake her up if she was already asleep.

Lily turned to look at her. Hermione could see that the redhead's eyes were puffy and her nose was red. Lily had been crying.

"Hermione?" Lily said with a thick voice.

Hermione felt her stomach twist with grief and guilt as she approached Lily, her brows furrowed with worry. She sat down at the foot of Lily's bed, eyeing her with a sad smile.

"How are you?" Hermione asked, wincing inwardly. Of course Lily was not okay, but she had to start from somewhere.

Lily grimaced. "I feel like crap." She huffed and sniffed, tears gathering into her eyes.

Hermione sighed, feeling miserable. She hated seeing her like that. "I'm sorry, Lils. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you." She said quietly, choking down a sob.

"Oh, Hermione. Don't be…You have just as much the right to be sad than the rest of us…Regardless how long you knew each other, Marley was still your friend too…" Lily whispered, taking Hermione's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "And I haven't exactly been ready to talk about it until now…" Lily said gloomily.

Hermione leaned in closer and enveloped her friend into a hug, soothing her hand against Lily's back as she felt her trembling. They stayed like that for a while, and Hermione could hear her friend crying again.

"I miss her," Lily said with a shaky voice.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Me too." She said, tears of grief and anger burning in her eyes.

Lily broke their embrace and frowned at the bed, looking contemplative. "Why? Why did no one stop them? The D-Death Eaters?" She asked and swallowed. "Marlene's family…They were with the… _Order_ , right?" She continued, whispering the word, staring at Hermione in confusion.

Hermione tried to swallow away the sudden tightness in her throat. What could she say? Hermione wanted to tell Lily everything she knew. But she knew that she couldn't. "I don't know, Lils…" She merely said and sighed.

They were silent for a while.

"You know, I'm not angry at them. _The Order._ Not really..." Lily said quietly, chewing the inside of her cheek. "I'm angry at those who did it." She said coldly.

Hermione tried not to flinch. She knew that not everyone who took part on the raid had done it willingly. Regulus and Snape. But she couldn't say it to Lily. It wasn't going to make her feel better, and Hermione was quite certain the redhead wouldn't understand.

It seemed that Lily wanted to say something else but was struggling with the words. Hermione waited in silence.

"I'm scared, Mione…" Lily finally said, looking at her with an anxious look. "What if…what if I don't make it? What if James doesn't? What if I lose another friend?" She said with a sob, and her eyes filled with tears.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. What she wanted to say to her friend, was that she would be okay, that everyone would be okay. She wanted to tell her that she was going to make sure of that. But the words died in her throat. She just wasn't sure anymore.

* * *

 **April 21st 1978 (Friday)**

Hermione was spending her Friday evening in the vast cave, where their group was practicing the Fiendfyre curse after over a month's break. As she watched Gideon and McGonagall cast and control the cursed flames, Hermione was determined not to screw it up this time. She was ready now. She had to be.

"Molly's been asking after you…" Fabian said as he watched his brother, who was now holding his wand up and controlling a fiery phoenix that was flying high in the cave ceiling. Hermione and Fabian were sitting in one corner, behind the others, leaning their backs against the stone wall.

Hermione sighed. She had been writing to Molly, and the ginger-haired witch had tried to subtly inquire about Hermione's general mood after the raid. But she hadn't really wanted to talk about it, and even less to write about it. She felt bad for not visiting Molly, even more so since she knew the woman had given birth to Fred and George less than three weeks ago. Of course, Hermione had owled her and congratulated the moment she had received the news and Molly had sent her a photo of the two future mischief-makers. Hermione had planned to go and visit her in the Burrow, but her plans had changed dramatically as a consequence of the raid.

"I know…I just…" She frowned, not really knowing how to say it. Or what to say, to be exact.

"Look, she understands. She lost someone too." He said quietly.

Hermione turned to look at him in shock. "Oh?"

"Yeah, Melissa. Marlene's sister. They were friends." Fabian said, looking uncomfortable. "It's good that the new set of twins is taking all her time, you know?" He said with a sad smile.

Hermione felt nauseated. Another friend was suffering because of the raid.

"Just talk to her when you're ready, yeah?" Fabian said and gave her a reassuring nudge. "She'll understand."

Hermione nodded, swallowing the lump from her throat.

A while later, Fabian cleared his throat and stood up. "Okay, little Dumbledore, you're up." Fabian said with a wink and held a hand for her. Hermione took a calming breath and clutched his hand as she stood up. She tried to be calm and collected, reassuring herself that she was going to succeed. She knew the incantation. She knew how to control the flames. She knew how to extinguish them. It was all in her head, and she just had to use the knowledge, control herself.

While McGonagall and Gideon stepped aside to rest after their successful practice, Hermione took her place in the middle of the cave. She nodded to the Headmaster who stood slightly behind her with Fabian, and lifted her wand. She thought the incantation in her mind and cast the curse, instantly feeling the Dark Magic course through her, tingling in her fingertips, bursting from the tip of her wand in the form of cursed flames.

The flames took a form of an animal – a fierce, but beautiful dragon. Hermione knew that she wasn't going to last long, as she felt the curse use all of her powers. Sweat was beading on her upper lip, and her hand trembled as she tried to focus on controlling the flames. She knew she had to put the flames out and cast the counter-spell for the curse. But the curse was more powerful than she was. It all happened in seconds. She saw Dumbledore and Fabian both lift their wands, with the intention to cast the counter-curse, to put out the flames, but then the fiery beast attacked, and spit fire towards her.

Hermione had only a second to move, and as she lunged to the side to avoid the fiery ball from scorching her, the flames managed to brush her left hand. She let out a scream as she waved her wand, which luckily was in her right hand, and managed to perform the counter-curse to extinguish the flames.

The flames vanished, and the others rushed towards her. Hermione was kneeling on the stone floor, cradling her hand, shaking uncontrollably. She was relieved. She had succeeded, finally. Only it hurt like hell. Her hand was throbbing with a searing pain, like thousand knives were stabbing it.

"Mmph..." She moaned through her gritted teeth as Dumbledore and Gideon started to check the extent of her injuries.

"It's okay, Hermione," Gideon said soothingly as Dumbledore waved his wand over her hand, and then started to apply the burning paste on the burns.

"I know," She panted. She knew the wounds were insignificant compared to what she'd endured the last time, but this time, the pain was much, much worse without the bracelet. She shuddered as she briefly thought exactly what Regulus had endured on her behalf.

Soon the pain eased, and she was left with only a mild throbbing in her palm. Dumbledore cast several diagnostic charms over her arm before he seemed to be pleased with the results. Hermione was adamant to continue their practice, but Dumbledore insisted she was to rest and watch from the sides for the rest of the evening. Even though she didn't get to continue practicing, Hermione couldn't help but feel satisfied that she had finally managed. Sure, she had been hurt, and it hadn't been perfect, but she still had managed to put out the flames. She had managed to control the flames. Finally.

After their practice, Hermione slipped into the Room of Requirement and was surprised to see Regulus still awake.

"Hey," Hermione said softly and walked towards him. He looked so relaxed, lying on the couch, a book between his hands. He turned to look at her and sat up. He smiled at her and put the book on the table, but his movements stilled suddenly, his expression went from relaxed to anxious, and the small smile on his lips disappeared.

"Hermione…Love…What happened to you?" He asked in mild panic and sprang up from the couch. He took her hand in his and inspected the faint red marks on the otherwise light skin. "What is this?" He asked with a demanding voice, his eyes searching hers uneasily. "Were you hurt?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Where's the bracelet?" He asked harshly, grabbing her both wrists and pulling them up, holding them in a firm grip.

Hermione hissed in surprise as his fingers dug slightly into her skin.

He gritted his teeth together. "Where is the bracelet, I gave you?" He demanded warningly, with fear and anger in his eyes.

Hermione winced as his grip on her wrist tightened.

"You're hurting me, Regulus," She said with a small whimper.

He let go as if her hand had burned him, staring at her with a startled look.

Hermione took the bracelet quickly from her pocket. "It's here, look." She said, putting it on again and taking a few steps away from him, sitting on the couch where he'd been a mere moment ago.

"Why would you take it off?" He asked with a rough voice, clenching his jaw.

Hermione worried her lip and then sighed. "You know why…" She muttered, looking him apologetically. He knew where she had been that night, but she hadn't told him about taking off the bracelet. She just couldn't let him get hurt because of her.

He cursed under his breath. "Never take it off, Hermione!" He yelled, and Hermione blanched when he looked at her like that. With his eyes full of anger and resentment.

"I had to!" She cried. "I saw what it did to you the last time, Reg…I saw what I did." She said miserably and looked down. Last time, he had taken the most of her wounds and pain. But when would it be too much for him to take? What if he would die because of her? She would never forgive herself for that.

He took a couple of deep breaths and then knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his, gently this time. "Please, Hermione. Love. Never take it off. I can't bear the thought of something or someone hurting you…Say that you'll never take it off. Promise me." He said with a trembling voice, his eyes pleading her, shining with unshed tears. Hermione felt her throat constricting.

"Your life over mine _._ " He whispered, his eyes searching over hers.

Hermione choked back a sob. It was so intense. The way he spoke to her. The way he looked at her. Like she was everything to him. Like the bracelet was the only thing he could do in order to protect her. And perhaps it was…

Gideon's words rang in her head. That what she did with Regulus was dangerous...And that he might not be able to protect her. Perhaps Gideon was right. And Regulus knew it too.

She stared into his stormy grey eyes, that were filled with fear, terror, anger and longing. Eyes that were pleading her, begging her. How could she not give him everything he asked? Tears burned in her eyes and she swallowed deeply before she managed to find her voice.

"I'll never take it off. I promise." She whispered and watched relief take place in his eyes.


	29. Deciding about the future

**A/N:** Twice a week, eh? ;) I can't thank you enough for your reviews, likes and follows - they really are the writer's reward, and encourage me to continue! So, please, continue rewarding me :) :)

I just thought I'd let you know that there is a reason I'm writing some characters the way I have; because in my mind, none of them is perfect, and they're all children (or young adults). I think Hermione isn't perfect, she's not some supreme goddess who knows everything and anything about magic - I wanted her to fail every once in a while (read: a lot) because she's a human. And she's, what? Nineteen... And Sirius on the other hand, while I picture him as smart and godlike (amIright), I still think he was arrogant, a bit self-absorbed, and, well, reckless in his youth (and probably when he was older too).

That being said, I hope you'll stick with me, and this story! Now...happy reading! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Deciding about the future**

 **April 23rd 1978 (Sunday)**

Hermione watched the golden and purple hue of the sunrise through a gap between the curtains on Regulus's bedroom windows. Regulus was still breathing deeply, lying on his back, one arm thrown over his head on the pillow while the other one was holding her tight against him. Their legs were tangled and Hermione rested her head against his chest. She looked up to his relaxed face. His lips were pouting a bit when he breathed through his mouth as he slept. A small groan escaped between his lips when she absently skimmed her fingers against his lower abdomen.

"Hmm." Regulus hummed and squeezed her closer to him, blinking and slowly waking up. "Do you have to leave already?" He murmured in his still-sleepy voice, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Hermione cast the tempus charm. "It's almost six…I'll have to go in a moment." She said with a sigh. She knew the girls would still be asleep, as it was Sunday, but she wanted to be there before any of them woke up.

Regulus gave her a contemplative look.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Are you sure your roommates don't suspect anything? I mean, we're here nearly every night…" He muttered, his fingers tracing patterns against her back.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm sure," She said and lifted her brows at him pointedly. "And might I add that _you're_ here nearly every night. I usually go to my dorm to sleep for the night," She said with a small smile.

For the past two weeks, since the school had started, Regulus had stayed many nights in the Room of Requirement, staying there even when she wasn't. Hermione was a bit surprised that no one had questioned why Regulus didn't sleep in the dungeons. His dormmates surely had noticed his absence.

"And have I mentioned how enjoyable it is when you spend the night in here with me?" He asked with a low voice that made her heart skip a beat. Her skin was tingling where he touched her.

"No…But you can show me…next time." She breathed, her fingers trailing innocently over his pelvis. "I have to get up now." She said and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

Regulus groaned when she climbed over him and out of the bed. "You're killing me." He murmured, his arm drawn over his eyes.

Hermione gave him an amused look. "You'll live. Besides, I'll see you tonight, right?" She asked while she pulled on a sweater.

"Of course." He replied and frowned as he eyed her getting dressed. He was still lying in his bed, his hands now crossed under his head, his bare chest on display as black silk sheets hung low on his hips, covering him from waist down. Hermione's eyes roamed over his body for a moment before she noticed his thoughtful expression.

"What?" She asked, eyeing him searchingly.

"Where are you going?" He asked coolly.

Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "…To my dorm?"

He arched a brow at her. "After that. After breakfast." He said and stared at her with a blank look.

Hermione sighed inwardly. _So…Snape had apparently tattled about her little potions project._

"The potions lab." She merely said, pulling her jeans on.

"And what are you working on in there?" Regulus asked, watching her intently.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Since you obviously know already, why don't you tell me?" She asked, giving him a wry look.

Regulus tried to suppress a smile. "Sev told me you're making Mancinella draught." He said, his expression serious now. "Why are you brewing a poison?"

She sighed, quickly thinking what she could tell him. "I'm trying to make an antidote for several poisons and toxic potions actually. But in order to do so, I must –"

"Brew the poison first." He said with a curt nod. "And this project of yours is something you're doing for the Order?" He asked as he stood up and walked to an armchair in which his clothes were neatly folded.

She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Yes."

He arched a brow at her. "Let me guess. You're not going to tell me what for?" He said as he started to pull his clothes on.

"Soon. I promise." She said softly and walked to him. She slid her hands around his neck and pulled him down into a lingering kiss.

"Okay?" She whispered against his mouth, their breaths mingling.

"Okay."

* * *

The day started pretty badly, at least after Hermione left the Room of Requirement. In their dorm, Hermione learned that Remus and Mary had broken up the night before. Mary insisted staying in bed, and didn't want to talk about it with the girls. Lily, Alice and Hermione tried to coax her to join them for breakfast, but eventually backed off when Mary stated that she didn't want to see Remus right now. Hermione wanted to comfort her friend, but she really didn't know what to say, or what to do to make Mary feel better. She felt bad for Mary, but at the same time she couldn't be angry at Remus, since he was her friend as well and Hermione knew what he was thinking and why he had broken up with Mary.

As Hermione, Lily and Alice entered the Great Hall for breakfast, the Marauders were already there. Lily and Alice took their usual seats next to James, but as Hermione was taking her usual seat opposite to the girls, she noticed their seating arrangement had changed a bit. Again. Remus was now sitting on James's other side, opposite to Peter, and Sirius had moved to sit next to Hermione. Again. If the situation wasn't that troubled, she would've made a joke about things coming full circle.

"So…things have come full circle, eh?" Sirius muttered next to Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and glanced at Remus. He looked terrible. The full moon was tonight, and he usually was more or less ill during the day preceding that night, sometimes opting to stay in bed or in the infirmary the whole day. But now he looked much worse, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She sighed and proceeded to have breakfast. The boys tried to talk to Remus, to cheer him up, but he merely stared at his plate, not really eating anything nor talking with anyone. The girls didn't talk much either, other than agreeing to take some food to Mary when they'd leave towards the Gryffindor Tower.

After breakfast, Lily and Alice left to their dorms and Hermione promised to join them before lunch. She headed towards the potions lab, and there he was again. Snape.

"Good morning." Hermione said, nodding politely and taking the same table she'd vacated last week.

"Morning." He muttered, glancing at her over his cauldron.

Neither of them said another word while being immersed in their own projects. Before she was absorbed into potion making, Hermione briefly wondered, what exactly was Snape brewing. Later, when she had managed to prepare the next potion from her list, a Potion of Hallucination, successfully, she turned to look at him.

"What are you working on?" She asked curiously as she gathered her things.

His eyes snapped to hers, giving her a speculative look. "Wiggenweld Potion." He said coolly.

"Oh." Hermione said with surprise. The potion wasn't exactly the most difficult one to brew. She walked hesitantly towards him and glanced into his cauldron. "But why is it turquoise?" She asked, knowing already he'd made some alterations to it, since if the potion had been done by textbook, the colour would now be closer to teal.

He lifted a brow. "When you add a double amount of Honey water, the effect is more rapid." He said simply.

Hermione nodded. _Of course…_

"And you? Who are you planning to torture this time?" He asked with a pointed look.

Hermione suppressed a snort. "No one. Just trying to produce an advanced antidote for a couple of fatal potions…" She replied vaguely.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "And a mere bezoar wouldn't work?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, now that you mention it, it couldn't hurt to try that as well…" She muttered, not really talking to him.

His brows lifted in surprise. "And who is it that is in need of a cure?" He asked slowly.

 _Crap._

Hermione cleared her throat. She needed to be more careful with him. "No one. I'm simply interested of making one, as it doesn't exist…" She said with a shrug, trying to sound indifferent. She knew the antidotes to common and uncommon poisons wouldn't work on something Voldemort was using to secure his locket. And she was doubtful that the bezoar alone would work either.

Snape frowned at her but didn't continue their discussion. Hermione hoisted her schoolbag on her shoulder and left the potions lab quickly after bidding him a good day.

* * *

Mary was missing from lunch in the Great Hall. The other seventh year Gryffindors were present and the air was slightly tense at their table. Hermione glanced at the enchanted ceiling that reflected the sky and weather outside – it was cloudy and grey, like everyone's mood, it seemed. Her eyes travelled over the other house tables in the Great Hall, from where a loud chatter carried to their silent group. At some point, Hermione turned her focus on her friends.

Lily and Alice were both immersed in their thoughts, Sirius pushed the food around on his plate and Peter kept sending worried glances towards Remus. Hermione followed his gaze and turned to look at Remus. James tried to chat with him but Remus only grunted back in reply.

When everyone was finishing their meals, Remus excused himself and stood up, supposedly heading towards the Gryffindor Tower to catch some sleep. Lily and Alice soon followed him, while Hermione stayed behind on purpose.

When she was left with only James, Sirius and Peter, Hermione spoke. "How is he?" She asked, looking at the boys.

James shrugged, worry evident in his eyes. "Not good, I suppose. Dunno why he had to break up with her the day before the moon though…Should've waited until after." He said grimly. Sirius and Peter nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…sure is gonna be a riot tonight…" Sirius muttered with a tight smile.

Hermione gave him a puzzled look.

"He's not that… _friendly_ when he's upset during the moon…" Sirius said with a slight cringe.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked in confusion.

Sirius glanced around them before lifting his shirt a bit to let her see four deep, but healed gashes lining next to each other on his stomach.

"Merlin…" She whispered, as he quickly pulled his shirt down.

"Sirius…When did that happen? Were you –"

"Couple of months ago. And yeah, I was Padfoot. But don't mention it to him…He feels bad enough as it is…" He said with an uneasy smile.

Hermione nodded, her widened eyes still drawn to his stomach, which was covered now. "I should talk with him…" She muttered, tearing her eyes away and glancing at the boys. She didn't know how much Remus confided in the boys, but she wanted him to know she was there for him, if he wanted to talk about Mary.

James shook his head. "I think it's better to let him rest today. But you can see him tomorrow at the infirmary, yeah?"

"Yes, of course." Hermione said absently. "I should go now…See you later."

The boys mumbled their farewells as she stood up and left the Great Hall.

* * *

 **April 24th 1978 (Monday)**

"Hey," Hermione said as she peeked between the curtains around the hospital bed. The infirmary was almost empty, the only occupants being Remus and a first year Ravenclaw who was situated on the opposite side of the room.

"Hey." Remus mumbled with a sleepy voice, already sitting up in the hospital bed. Hermione suspected he had only just woken up after sleeping throughout the day. She had visited him in the morning before her classes, but he hadn't been awake. Sirius, James and Peter were all missing from classes as well, and Hermione assumed the boys were catching some much needed sleep after keeping Remus company the night before.

"I brought you some notes," She said with a small smile and placed the parchments on the side table.

He rubbed his face. "Thanks." He said, not looking at her.

"Remus…" She said carefully. "How was it?" She asked, cringing inwardly.

"I don't want to talk about it, Hermione." He muttered, glancing at the notes she'd brought.

"Okay. What about…you and Mary?" She asked hesitantly.

He sighed. "Can we not talk about that either?" He said and looked at her with pleading eyes.

Hermione smiled understandingly. "Of course."

"So…Have you decided what you want to do after school?" He asked after a moment of silence.

Hermione blinked.

Remus let out a tired chuckle. "You know, McGonagall's counselling? This week?" He asked and studied her features with amusement.

"Merlin…I completely forgot about that!" She squeaked, scolding herself for not remembering it. Luckily her session wasn't until Friday, so she had some time to figure out what exactly she wanted from her future. Somehow, deciding what to do after Hogwarts seemed rather irrelevant in the midst of everything. On the other hand, making plans for time after Hogwarts felt like it would make this life really real for her. Like her old life wouldn't be there for her anymore.

"So, I assume you don't know yet?" He asked kindly.

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "No…I mean, I'm a bit curious about a career as a potioneer, but…I don't know if I'm qualified enough to be accepted into any apprenticeships." She said with a shrug.

Remus smiled at her. "I'm sure you'd be accepted. I mean, you're brilliant at potions."

Hermione gave him a bashful smile and guided the conversation away from her. "And what about you? Have you thought about the possibility of studying at a muggle university?" She asked. "I don't know if you've looked into it, but I think Hogwarts offers scholarships for students with outstanding NEWT results. So…perhaps that could be your solution." She said and gave him an encouraging smile.

He was about to argue but she interrupted him. "I happen to know you and Lily have had the best grades every year since you've started here." She said with a smirk.

Remus rolled his eyes with amusement. "Well, wouldn't be so sure of that this year." He said, giving her a pointed look.

* * *

 **April 27th 1978 (Thursday)**

Thursday after dinner Hermione sat in her usual place in an armchair near the fire in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for her Astronomy lesson to start. As the common room was quite empty and all her friends were somewhere else, she had decided to research the Diadem a bit. During the past weeks, she had focused on her potions project, but since there was nothing to do on that front at the moment, and all her schoolwork was up to date, and even Regulus was elsewhere engaged, she had some extra time on her hands.

She was just browsing through the second book she had picked up from the Room of Requirement's Grimmauld Place library the other day, not finding anything useful from it. _Where would she find information about that bloody tiara?_

"Aarhg!" Hermione growled and snapped the book on her lap shut and shoved it into her bag with a bit more force than necessary.

"What's this? Hermione Dumbledore mistreating books?" Sirius chuckled behind her.

Hermione turned to look at him as he approached her from the boys' dorm and plopped on the couch next to her armchair.

"Hey," She muttered in greeting, still annoyed by her findings. _Or rather the by the lack of them._

"What?" He asked and looked around them in mock surprise. "Where's the annoying brat that is my brother? Isn't he like…attached to you by now?" He asked with a smirk.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Very funny. You know very well we don't meet in here. Or anywhere else where someone could see us." She muttered. "And you know he has Quidditch practice." She said with an arched brow.

Sirius grinned. "So _that's_ the reason you're granting us your presence." He said and eyed her sullen exterior for a moment. "That's why you're so miffed? Missing the lover boy?" He asked with amusement in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't push me." She said warningly.

Sirius merely laughed and stretched on the couch.

"So, what is it?" He asked after a moment of silence. "Why are you upset?" He continued and craned his neck to look at her, studying her expression.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, thinking of what exactly she _could_ tell him.

"Well…I'm researching wizarding history…specifically I am trying to find some legendary magical artefacts." She explained vaguely.

"Why?" He asked incredulously.

Hermione shrugged. "For fun. For knowledge."

He snorted. "You and I have _very_ different opinions on what's fun, kitten…" He said with a mix of bewilderment and amusement in his voice.

Hermione pursed her lips.

"Okay. You're searching for information on something. And...What?" He asked, eyeing her intently.

"Yes, that's just it. There's not really that much information about the objects. I mean, there isn't literally a person alive today who's seen any of them. And in every book I've read, the artefacts are mentioned to have been lost for centuries." She sighed and rubbed her face.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Well…It's quite obvious, isn't it? You have to talk to someone who's dead." He said with a shrug. Hermione let out a strangled sound from her throat and turned to stare at the fire, feeling utterly dumbfounded.

Sirius smiled at her and searched a motorcycle magazine from his pockets and started to flip through it.

Thoughts were whirling in her head. _…someone who's dead._ Of course! Sirius was a genius! Not that she'd tell him that, but…How could she forget about the ghosts? She felt so foolish of not thinking about asking them. She cast a quick tempus charm – no, she wouldn't have the time to search for any of the ghosts around the castle before her Astronomy class. She decided to go to Dumbledore after the class, to inform him about her revelation.

A while later Hermione, Lily, Sirius and James left towards the Astronomy tower. As Lily and James walked ahead of Hermione and Sirius, arguing about some Heads' business, Hermione gave Sirius a small nudge. He turned to look at her with his brows lifted in question.

"Thanks." She said with a grateful smile.

He smiled back. "No problem."

* * *

"Good evening class. Tonight, we will revise the galaxies, as they are a part of your NEWT curriculum." Professor Moonshine started after the students had sat down in the classroom. Hermione was sitting next to Lily, as usual, and the boys were sitting behind them, in the last row.

"Can anyone name a famous galaxy?" The professor asked as he eyed the class expectantly. "Yes, Miss Evans?"

As Lily gave their professor a list of famous galaxies, the boys were exchanging their usual Astronomy related jokes again. Hermione couldn't understand how they managed to have such good grades, since they barely listened during the class. Although, she knew they were more serious with their other subjects.

"Okay I have one." James said quietly. " _A spiral galaxy walked into a bar for a drink. The barman threw him out and said 'You're barred!'_ "

Both boys chuckled and Lily threw a glare at them after finishing her answer. Hermione tried to keep a straight face, staring at the front of the classroom. It wasn't that their jokes were good on any scale. They were quite bad actually. Perhaps that was the reason she occasionally couldn't help but be amused by them.

"What about this," Sirius said with a smirk. " _What did the Sun say to Canis Major?_ "

James lifted his brows with a bored expression and sighed, knowing already what it was about.

" _Why so Sirius?_ " Sirius said, chuckling at his own joke. Professor Moonshine was handing the assignments and Lily had stood up to ask the Professor some specified questions about a galaxy.

"You've got to have something better than that, mate…" James said with a groan.

Sirius huffed. "Hey, Hermione."

Hermione turned around slowly and arched a brow at him.

"Was my joke funny?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do not presume I listen to your lame jokes when we're in the middle of a class." She said exasperatedly.

"It wasn't funny." She added before turning back to face the front of the class. James sniggered next to Sirius.

"A-ha!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning at Hermione. "So you _do_ listen to us. Tell me, have you got something better than that, hmm?" He said, giving her a challenging look when she turned to face them again.

Hermione sighed. "Hmm…Okay. _What did the moon say to his therapist?_ " She asked blankly. Sirius and James were eyeing her curiously.

" _I'm just going through a phase._ " She concluded.

Both boys stared at her with confusion.

"I didn't get that…" James muttered, looking contemplative. "What was the joke?"

"What's a therapist?" Sirius asked, looking at Hermione strangely. She groaned inwardly. Were they for real?

Hermione shook her head in exasperation. She knew there weren't any therapists in the wizarding world, since all the health professionals were called Healers, but she had thought that the boys would've known more about the muggle world. "Never mind," She muttered and turned her back to the boys.

The rest of their class went by without much disturbance, and soon the students were gathering their things and leaving the Astronomy Tower.

In the hallway, Hermione turned to walk into a different direction where Lily, James and Sirius were heading.

"See you in a bit, Lils," Hermione said, and Lily gave her a nod and a smile before she followed James towards the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione had earlier told Lily that she would visit the Headmaster after their class, and the redhead hadn't asked any questions, but Hermione knew her friend guessed it had something to do with the Order.

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked with a frown and stopped in place.

"I'm just meeting the Headmaster." She said with a shrug.

"Okay. I'll come with and wait for you." He said nonchalantly, walking the short distance to her and waited for her to move forward.

"What?" She asked in bewilderment. "No, you don't have to. I can walk back to the tower by myself." She said warily.

"Well, it's nearly ten. And it probably is after curfew when you're coming back, so…" He said with a shrug. "And I don't mind. I can wait downstairs." He merely said.

Hermione was a bit baffled. _Why? What were his intentions?_

* * *

Later that night Hermione lay in her bed, staring at the canopy. Their dorm was dark and quiet, and she could hear the faint breathing sounds coming from the other beds. Thoughts were whirling in her head, and she desperately wished she had a Pensieve, so she could extract some of the thoughts in her head for later reviewing.

It turned out that Sirius hadn't had any other intentions than merely being nice to her when he had waited for her and walked with her back to their common room. She had been with Dumbledore for over an hour, first explaining him the theory of asking about the Diadem from a ghost, and after a short moment actually talking to a ghost.

She had felt only a little embarrassed for barging into his office that late at night after seeing the Headmaster in his night robes.

After they had discussed the possibilities of a ghost having some information about the diadem, Dumbledore had summoned the Ravenclaw ghost, Grey Lady, and when she'd come and told them her story, everything had suddenly made sense.

 _"Hermione, meet the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower." Dumbledore said with a kind smile._

 _Hermione stared at the ghost hesitantly. "It's, um…Nice to meet you."_

 _The ghost nodded._

 _Hermione cleared her throat. "Would you, um…happen to know anything about the lost diadem of Ravenclaw?" She asked from the ghost, cringing inwardly._

 _A cold smile curved the ghost's lips. "You are not the first one who asks about the diadem." She said aloofly._

 _Dumbledore stared at the ghost intently. "We believe the diadem has been stolen by a former student. And that he might've stained it with Dark Magic." He said and looked at the ghost's reaction carefully. The Grey Lady averted her eyes, a shocked expression on her face._

 _"My mother's diadem…" She whispered. Hermione gasped._

 _"You're Helena Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked urgently._

 _The ghost turned to look at her. "Yes, when I lived." She answered tightly, and Hermione pressed her lips together in thought._

 _Dumbledore eyed the ghost for a moment before he spoke. "You had the diadem in your possession?"_

 _Helena nodded, remaining quite still while floating in the air, a hint of hopelessness in her eyes._

 _"I took it from her. I wanted to be more powerful, more skilled than my mother. I took it, and I ran away with it. My mother knew I took it, but she never told anyone about it, or that she had lost it. Then she fell ill and sent a man to find me, to take me back to her. She wanted to see me for one last time." Helena explained quietly, staring at the floor, an ashamed look in her eyes._

 _"The man found me, and when I refused to return with him, he killed me. The Bloody Baron." She whispered. Dumbledore nodded to her, encouraging her to continue._

 _Hermione could only gape at the ghost, as the whole story sounded like it was pretty much out there. But at the same time, it made sense._

 _Helena gave a bitter huff. "After that, he killed himself."_

 _"And…the diadem?" Hermione asked hesitantly._

 _"It stayed where I had hidden it, a forest in Albania, inside a hollow tree." She merely said._

 _Dumbledore frowned at her. "You have told this story to Tom Riddle?"_

 _Helena blanched and was quiet for a moment. "Yes." She whispered with a regretful expression._

 _"Do you know where the diadem is currently situated?" Dumbledore asked simply._

 _She shook her head. "No. I'm afraid not."_

 _Dumbledore eyed her for a moment. "You may go now. I thank you for sharing this with us."_

 _Helena nodded and glided away. Hermione and Dumbledore were silent for a while before the Headmaster spoke. "I think it is best that you go to bed now, Hermione. I will inform the others about this, and we can continue to discuss the topic in our next meeting." He said wearily._

 _Hermione nodded to the Headmaster before leaving his office._

They now knew Voldemort had had the diadem, and it was now confirmed that the diadem was one of the Horcruxes. The question was, where was it hidden?

It was close to morning hours when she finally fell asleep.

* * *

 **April 29th 1978 (Saturday)**

It was their first Hogsmeade weekend since the Easter holidays, and Hermione was finally meeting Molly and the babies in the village. Arthur was staying home with Bill, Charlie and Percy, so that Molly could focus on Hermione and the twins.

Molly was sitting on a bench in the rather bustling main street, reading a magazine and gently rocking the twin pram next to her as she waited for her friend to arrive.

"Molly!" Hermione greeted with a bright grin as she neared the bench. It had been too long since she'd seen her, and while they had owled to each other, it hadn't been the same.

"Hermione!" Molly said enthusiastically, standing up and hugging Hermione close. "How are you?" She asked with a kind smile as they broke the hug.

Hermione sighed in relief. It was good to see her. "I'm okay. Just keeping myself occupied..." She said sincerely, but her brow furrowed when she remembered what Fabian had told her. "Your brother mentioned that, um…you lost a friend too…I'm sorry for your loss." Hermione said quietly, not really sure if she said the right words. Not really sure if Molly wanted to discuss it.

The ginger haired witch took in a shaky breath. "I, uh…" She stammered and swallowed. "Yes. Melissa. We were in school together, same house and dormitory for seven years…" She said wistfully. "She was a dear friend, even though we didn't see each other often enough after school." Molly concluded, a sorrowful look in her eyes.

Hermione placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry…And I'm sorry I haven't visited you," she said with a troubled look.

Molly waved a hand in dismissal. "You want to see the boys?" She asked lightly, changing the subject.

Hermione smiled. "Of course!"

Molly opened the curtains of the pram and Hermione saw two perfect little babies asleep under their covers. She couldn't stop the "Aww" -sound that escaped from her lips as she watched their peaceful sleep.

"Congratulations, Molly. They are beautiful." Hermione said tenderly and hugged her friend again.

Molly sniffed a bit and hugged her back, patting Hermione's back. "I'm sorry…I'm just a bit overwhelmed…hormones, you know?" She said with a chuckle as they broke apart.

Hermione smiled. "Shall we walk a bit? Or do you want to browse the shops?" She asked and glanced around them. It was a surprisingly warm day. Somehow, spring had snuck up on them, and Hermione hadn't even realised it until now. The back garden of the Hog's Head would soon be blooming. Everything was so different from what it was not even a month ago, the last time she'd been in the village.

"You decide. I'm up for anything." Molly smiled at her warmly.

Hermione nodded. They ended up visiting the bookshop, and then Molly made a quick stop to the joke shop, while Hermione kept an eye on the twins. Molly had promised to bring the boys who were staying at home something from the village after they'd been rather displeased with the fact that she hadn't taken them with her.

At lunch time, they decided to go to Hog's Head and eat in the back garden, since it was warm enough to stay outside. The twins had finally woken up, and after Molly had fed them, Hermione held both boys in her arms, so that Molly could have a moment of peace. Hermione had eyes only for the small bundles, both worn out by the laborious act of eating.

"Careful there…Soon you'll want one for yourself." Molly said with a smirk as she ate her salad.

Hermione chuckled. "Somehow I doubt it. I mean, they are wonderful, but…I dunno. I don't exactly have anything planned for my future. There's so much going on…" She said with a sigh and stared at the now sleeping babies with a small smile on her lips.

Molly nodded. "You're young. And you have time to think what it is that you want," She said kindly. "Have you already decided what you will do after graduation?" She asked as she finished her meal and put the plate down.

"Actually, I think I have…It's not certain yet…but hopefully I'll be accepted into an apprenticeship as a potioneer." She said hesitantly.

Molly looked impressed. "That sound's great, Hermione. A potioneer." She said excitedly.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, well, we'll see." She said with a shrug.

Molly gave her a confident nod. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Gideon tells me you're a very talented witch, so you needn't worry, dear." She said with a knowing smile.

Hermione blushed with embarrassment. "I really hope he's not exaggerating too much…" She muttered.

Molly shrugged. "I suppose he feels certain fondness for you…" she said, her voice trailing off. She put the babies, one by one, back to their pram to sleep, so Hermione could have her hands free.

Hermione stared at Molly thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

Molly arched a brow at her friend. "Well, he seems to talk awfully lot about you." She said pointedly, waggling her brows in the most Ginny-ish manner.

Hermione gasped. "We're just friends!" She said with a berating look. "There's nothing going on between us."

Molly eyed her for a moment before she shrugged. "A girl can always hope. I mean, it would've been amazing to have you as my sister-in-law, you know?" She said and glanced at her sheepishly.

Hermione shook her head in amusement but smiled at her friend. "It would've been great." She said with a grin.

They walked in silence along the busy main street of Hogsmeade.

"So…You're seeing someone?" Molly asked eventually as they stopped in front of a shop to browse the windows.

Hermione flinched and turned to look at her. "Why do you assume that?"

Molly rolled her eyes and glanced at Hermione's wrist. "That is a beautiful bracelet. Charmed?" She asked vaguely.

"Yes."

"You haven't worn it before." She said with a knowing look.

Hermione sighed inwardly. She hadn't worn it daily for this exact reason. Even though the bracelet was delicate and quite simple, it still caught the interest of certain people. Sirius…Snape. And now Molly. Sirius and Snape had of course immediately realised the bracelet was from Regulus, and Molly had noticed its magic. Nevertheless, she had promised Regulus to never take it off again.

"I actually received it as a Christmas gift." Hermione said with a tight smile. "Hadn't got used to wearing it, until now…" She said with a shrug.

"Oh? A boy gave it to you?" Molly asked with a teasing smile.

"Yes." Hermione said obscurely, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

Molly chuckled. "Okay, I will not pester you anymore. But I expect you'll tell me some day. Deal?" She asked with a daring look.

Hermione grinned. "Deal."

After walking leisurely in the warm but still a bit crisp air, eyeing the villagers and students going on with their business, Molly had to eventually leave, and Hermione returned to school.

* * *

Later that night Hermione, Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Prewetts met in the Headmaster's office.

"Good evening everyone," Dumbledore greeted as everyone sat down on their usual seats in front of him.

Everyone greeted him back before the Headmaster continued, "Hermione came to see me two nights ago with some essential information regarding the diadem," Dumbledore said, giving Hermione a small nod. The others turned to look at her curiously.

"She had a theory, that as no one had seen the diadem in living memory, one should ask about it from someone who's not alive." He said simply, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, it was actually Sirius's idea, but I didn't mention anything about the Horcruxes to him. I only told him that I was researching some old artefacts in the wizarding history, for fun, and that there wasn't literally a person alive who would know about them. He then suggested that I ought to ask someone who is dead…" She explained quickly.

Fabian shifted in his place. "You mean…a ghost?" He asked, glancing at Hermione. She nodded.

"And so we did." Dumbledore said simply. "It turns out that the Grey Lady – the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower – is actually Helena Ravenclaw."

Gideon, Fabian and McGonagall all gaped at the Headmaster.

"Blimey…." Gideon muttered, seeming too stunned to say anything else.

McGonagall was the first to speak after him. "Does she know where the diadem is? Does Voldemort have it?" She asked grimly.

Dumbledore nodded. "It turns out that Helena stole her mother's diadem, hid it in Albania and then died shortly after. She told the story to Voldemort, years later, when he was a student in here. He then obtained the diadem. Or so we believe." Dumbledore explained calmly.

"Albania…" Gideon repeated slowly. "Could it still be there?" He asked, with anticipation in his voice.

Dumbledore gave him a thoughtful look. "I couldn't say. But we must examine the possibility."

Hermione cleared her throat. "You mean…we're going to Albania?" She asked in bewilderment.

"No. Not all of us. It would raise suspicion, if Voldemort's followers are observing the movements over there." Dumbledore said slowly, his brows furrowed in thought. "No…We should figure out a way to make it less…obvious."

Everyone was silent for a while as they tried to think of the possibilities.

"I suggest that neither you; Headmaster, nor Minerva will undertake this mission, since you are both quite well recognised. Even if you used some kind of disguise, your absence would be quickly noticed." Fabian said and Gideon nodded in agreement.

"I want in." Hermione said with a determined voice.

"Too dangerous." Gideon merely said and shook his head.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "And you are one to determine that?" She asked sharply.

Gideon smirked at her defiance. "As your teacher, yes." He said simply.

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I happen to agree with Gideon on this," Dumbledore said. "It is a very dangerous mission. If Voldemort is keeping the diadem hidden in Albania, it is most likely guarded somehow. If he succeeds to capture you, he would have all your knowledge in his possession," He said and gave Hermione a pointed look.

Hermione frowned as she bit back a retort and thought rationally. She knew Dumbledore was right, but she wanted to help. She wanted to do something else than just research.

"So, Gideon, Fabian. Are you ready for the mission?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

The twins nodded.

"Should we wait until the term has ended?" McGonagall asked with a stern voice. "That way Gideon's absence wouldn't be noticed."

"I agree, Minerva." Dumbledore said.

Gideon and Fabian murmured their agreements.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Splendid. Now we have to think of a cover story for you," he said with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.

* * *

 **April 30th 1978 (Sunday)**

"So…what did she say?" Hermione asked from Remus as they sat opposite to each other in the library, both revising for their NEWTs.

Remus had kept quiet about his counselling with McGonagall, as had she, when the seventh year Gryffindors had been discussing about them during breakfast that morning. James, Sirius – and surprisingly, Alice – had all applied to the Auror training, while Lily and Mary had both left their applications to Healer training in St. Mungo's. Peter had applied into an apprenticeship as an advanced rune translator.

Remus read a few more lines before he put a marker between his charms book and turned to look at her. "Well…she said that…I'm qualified for the scholarship." He said, finishing with a huge grin.

"Godric! That's brilliant! Congratulations, Remus!" Hermione exclaimed quietly and beamed at him. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Hermione asked and slapped his arm playfully.

Remus chuckled. "Just wanted to think it over it a bit…" He said with a shrug, a mixed look of shyness and bewilderment on his features.

"I'm so thrilled for you, Remus. Are you applying to a muggle University? Which one? Which degree and course? How are your grades converted into muggle ones?" She asked, shooting questions so fast that he didn't keep up.

"Just take a breather, Hermione." Remus said with nervous excitement. "I don't know all the details yet, and I might not even get in. I'm filling in my application with McGonagall next week – she'll help with the examination results and such…" He explained steadily. "I'm applying to the English Language and Literature course and thinking of Durham, St Andrews, UCL and Cambridge." He said with a nervous smile.

"That sounds amazing, Remus! I really hope you'll get in…" Hermione said and gave him a warm smile.

"Yeah, me too…I'll let you know more as soon as I get a reply." He said, still looking rather baffled by the topic. "So…potioneer, huh?" He said, changing the focus to her.

Hermione worried her lip. "Yes, well, in our meeting, on Friday, McGonagall said she had a possibility in mind for my apprenticeship, which she would have to confirm. Yesterday she asked me to visit her office, and there was someone else as well." Hermione explained, feeling a bit unsure.

Remus eyed her curiously. "Who was it?" He asked quietly.

Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. "You're not going to believe this…But. Um…Invictus Viridian?"

Remus's brows shot up in surprise. "As in Vindictus Viridian's descendant?" He asked incredulously, his voice rising a bit.

Vindictus Viridian was a former Headmaster of Hogwarts, a known potioneer and author. And his son, Invictus, was a known potioneer as well.

Hermione gave him a helpless shrug. "Turns out he's friends with McGonagall and wanted to offer me an apprenticeship in his own company, in their research and development department."

Remus's eyes widened with astonishment. "Merlin…That sounds like an amazing opportunity," He exclaimed quietly and grinned at her.

Hermione smiled as well. "Well, the pay is not much during the training, so I'll have to ask if Ab could give me some shifts at the pub…But...I have finally figured out what to do after graduation." She said, grinning at him, feeling perplexed and stress-free at the same time.

Remus beamed at her.

Hermione cleared her throat as a thought came into her mind. "But what about the…you know, your _summer activities_?" She asked quietly, looking at Remus pointedly. "Are you able to enrol and attend the University?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I should be able to. Belby said that he would need me only for two to three moons."

Hermione was surprised. "That's three months…" She whispered with a hint of worry in her voice.

Remus gave her another nod, grimacing slightly. "Yeah, he needs several months to get reliable results, so…I'll be gone the entire summer. But _if_ I get in to the University, it won't start until October, so it should be okay…" He said with a low voice, so that they could not be overheard by anyone.

Hermione nodded and gave him a sad smile. "I'll miss you," She said with a frown. "How am I supposed to endure the others when you're not around? Like James and Sirius? They are bound to do something stupid, when you're not there to keep them in line..." She said and pursed her lips.

Remus huffed a quiet laugh. "You'll just have to fill in for me, I guess."


	30. Shenanigans

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! :) (Check Ao3 for the more descriptive version...)

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Shenanigans**

 **May 1st 1978 (Monday)**

The seventh year Gryffindor girls were in the middle of their breakfasts when the Marauders joined them. It was Monday morning, and the sun was shining brightly outside, the charmed ceiling of the Great Hall reflecting the clear sky outside.

The boys lined up beside Hermione and Mary, which was a slightly unusual move – and a rather obvious one; they were up to something. Every Gryffindor sitting near them could conclude that, even without the boys eyeing each other with identical smirks plastered on their faces.

"Do I even want to know what you guys are planning to do?" Lily asked, eyeing them warily.

James gave his girlfriend an innocent look. "I don't know what you are on about, Lils," he said, trying to appear nonchalant as he started to fill his plate with bacon, eggs and toast. Hermione glanced at Remus who sat a couple of seats to her left. He gave her an obscure shrug.

 _Great. So, they were up to something…_ Hermione thought and sighed inwardly.

"So, Hermione…you seen my brother today?" Sirius whispered next to her, his lips quirking up a bit.

Hermione frowned at him and her eyes were automatically drawn towards the Slytherin table. _Of course. That was why they were seated like that, facing the Slytherin table._

She rolled her eyes at the sniggering Marauders. Every Slytherin sitting at their house table was sporting either yellow or blue hair. _Very subtle…_ Hermione thought as she glanced at Regulus, who was looking quite…bizarre with his yellow hair. He and his classmates were just realising what had happened. Hermione supp

ressed a smile and shook her head in mild amusement.

"Well?" Sirius asked, both him and James eyeing Hermione with an expectant grin.

"Yes, very clever. You charmed their food with what? _Colovaria_? They probably won't guess who's behind this…" Hermione replied scornfully. It probably would've been less obvious if the Slytherins were sporting red hairs as well…

The boys burst in laughter, as did many others throughout the Great Hall when students around them started to notice the new hair colours at the Slytherin table.

* * *

"Pair up again, and choose someone you haven't duelled against yet," Gideon instructed from the front of the classroom. It was their first lesson of the day and they were having duelling practice again.

Hermione glanced around the room, but before she could take a step towards a group of Ravenclaws, James stepped in front of her.

"Do you have the guts?" He asked her with a challenging smirk on his lips.

Hermione arched a brow. "To duel you?"

He nodded. "Only if you're up for the challenge," He said smugly and lifted his brows once while grinning at her.

Hermione shrugged. "Okay." She said, trying to sound indifferent. She knew James was very good at duelling, as she'd seen him many times during their DADA lessons. She also knew she wasn't that bad herself, but not quite reaching his level.

James winked at her and took his position after bowing to her. Hermione followed suit and then they waited for the Professor to make the call for them to start.

"…three, two, one, go!"

As soon as the Professor had uttered the final word, hexes, jinxes and mild curses started streaming from both James's and Hermione's wands. Both either ducked the other one's spells or blocked them with shield charms, while throwing back a spell or two. It was an intense duel, both determined to win it. Hermione could vaguely fathom that every student around them was staring at them and making room for them on the floor, instead of taking part in their own duels.

James threw hexes so rapidly towards her, that sweat started to drip down her neck, her muscles crying from the jumping, dodging and blocking his spells. She noticed that James too was breathing heavily from exertion, but his eyes were locked into hers with perfect focus.

She knew he would win. He was too strong, too quick for her, blocking her spells with such an ease she could only dream of. After a while, he managed to send a jinx she couldn't block or dodge, hitting her straight on the chest.

She landed on her bum, hard, from his Knockback Jinx, her wand flying through the air straight into his outstretched palm.

"Ouch!" Hermione hissed, scampering up.

James smirked at her. "Nice show, Dumbledore," He said with a wicked grin, eyeing her torso pointedly.

Hermione could hear faint sniggering and whooping amongst some of the boys in the class and glanced down. James had severed her shirt from the middle, and her bare stomach and bra were now on display between the torn fabrics.

"All right, people! Show's over!" Gideon exclaimed hastily, eyeing his students with a stern look. "On with your duels, _now_."

Hermione blushed furiously and pulled her shirt to cover herself, while marching up to James, who bit back a grin as he handed her wand back to her. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as she mended the torn fabric with a swish of her wand while most of the students around them started their duels.

"This isn't over, Potter." She hissed at him, a scowl edged on her face.

Hermione didn't miss how Lily sent her boyfriend a couple of scorching glares while Sirius, Peter and Remus eyed the pair with amusement.

James chuckled. "Oh? Well, if you wish to show more, I suggest you pair up with Sirius next time. I know he won't mind looking at you." He spoke quietly so that no one else heard them, and lifted his brows quickly.

Hermione seethed. "God, you're arrogant, James!"

James huffed a laugh. "I know. And you know, payback's a bitch…" He said, a knowing grin on his lips.

Hermione gritted her teeth and refrained from smacking him on the face. So, he was apparently paying back for making him and Sirius snog at the Gryffindor Quidditch party a couple of months ago.

She had to hand it to him…He was patient…

* * *

Hermione stayed behind the duelling class, as she had agreed with Gideon that they would practice Occlumency during lunchtime. They had been training the skill every week since January, until the raid. This was the first time after the raid, and Hermione was feeling a bit edgy as she headed towards his office, trying to clear her mind.

"Even without Legilimency, I can see your mind is full of thoughts. Are you sure you want to continue?" Gideon asked hesitantly as they took seats in his office, on different sides of his desk.

Hermione sighed wearily. "Yes, I'm sure." She said and took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind for the last time, trying to build a wall in front of the thoughts she wanted to shield from him, imagine a door that was locked, and throwing away the key.

Gideon nodded and cleared his throat, and stared at her calmly while lifting his wand. " _Legilimens_ ," He said softly, a deep frown forming slowly between his brows as he tried to get through the barriers in her mind.

They stared at each other in silence, both breathing heavily, never breaking the eye contact, and both shaking from the effort.

Gideon suddenly sucked a deep breath, breaking the contact, panting as he closed his eyes. Hermione acted the same, physically drained by the mental strain.

"Shit," he muttered, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes as he took a moment.

Hermione swallowed, feeling nauseated. He'd seen the night Regulus had come to her, covered in blood. The night of the raid. He'd heard what Regulus had said to her. What he'd done. Gideon had felt her agony when she had realised what had happened to Marlene and her family.

They were silent for a moment, both trying to pull themselves together.

"Okay." Gideon eventually said, his voice trembling as he gave her a troubled look. "Let's continue. Are you ready?"

Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded, breathing deeply through her nose.

" _Legilimens_."

* * *

Hermione was exhausted and close to tears when she came to lunch, only having fifteen minutes or so before she'd have to be in the greenrooms. She knew she could've asked for Gideon to stop, and to continue their Occlumency practice on another time. But then she would never make progress. She would probably be in a stressful situation anyway, if there ever would be a time when she would have to use the skill.

"Hey, Hermione…You alright?" Sirius asked with a frown as she plopped next to him and started to add food on her plate.

Hermione made a sound in the back of her throat, meant to be a noncommittal one, that instead came out as a wince. She knew she couldn't say anything about her meeting with Gideon to the boys. Even though she wanted to. She wanted to tell someone how horrible she felt, and how painful it was to relive everything she'd seen. But she knew she couldn't. So, Hermione kept her focus on her plate and started to eat quickly, as her next lesson was about to start soon. The girls, Remus and Peter had already left. Sirius and James were there only ones sitting in their usual spot at the table because they had a free period next. She glanced quickly around the hall – it was almost empty, just a few students scattered around every house table.

"Look, Hermione…" James muttered uncomfortably, eyeing her from his seat, opposite to her and Sirius. "I didn't mean to be a prick…I'm sorry." He was clearly regretting his behaviour at their DADA class, after seeing her sullen mood.

Hermione chewed down her food and waved a hand to him, trying to seem nonchalant. "No worries," She said blankly and gulped her water down before wiping her mouth and standing up. "Sorry guys, I'm late for class." She said, keeping her voice steady. She stood up and left the Great Hall in a rush, leaving the two bewildered boys to stare at her fleeting back.

She rushed into the greenhouse three just in time, and took quickly the empty seat beside Lily.

"Where were you?" Lily asked quietly as Professor Sprout was starting to hand the assignments in front of the greenroom. Lily eyed Hermione before she continued. "What's wrong? Is it what James did? …I'm going to strangle him," She hissed venomously.

Hermione's mouth twitched slightly. "No, it's not him. And he already apologised. Don't worry about it," she said with a tight smile, trying to lock down the nasty memories Gideon had managed to dig up into the forefront of her mind.

Lily stared her friend warily for a moment before she spoke. "If you say so," she muttered. "So, um…would you be up for a girls' night in?" Lily continued hesitantly, a small cringe curving her mouth.

Last time they had had a girls' night, it was when Marlene had been with them. Hermione could see that that was were Lily's mind was too.

Hermione sighed. "Yeah, sure. It's been too long." She said with a small smile.

Lily nodded, looking relieved. "Saturday okay? Or…are you going to _console your_ _boyfriend_?" She said teasingly, whispering the last bit. Slytherin was playing against Hufflepuff the coming Saturday, and of course every Gryffindor hoped the serpents would lose. Gryffindor was leading in the points, with Ravenclaw and Slytherin following.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend," she muttered quietly, and narrowed her eyes at Lily when the redhead gave her a knowing look. "And he hardly is the type who needs soothing. And who's to say they won't win?" She said with a smirk.

Lily snorted quietly. "Don't let James hear that. Beating Slytherin is the only thing he's been talking about for the past weeks." She said with laughter in her voice and put her gloves on.

They were peeling squill bulbs and cutting them into thin slices before they would be dried and used as potions ingredients in their potions class. It wasn't a challenging assignment, so the girls continued their chatter while they worked.

"You sure you're okay?" Lily asked as she put the sliced pieces on a plate.

Hermione glanced at her. "Um, yes…just had a talk with Gideon and the subject wasn't that cheerful…We talked about the raid." She said quietly, so that no one but Lily would hear her.

Lily let out a small gasp but gave Hermione a small nod. "I can't believe it's been over a month." She said, looking sorrowful.

"Yeah, tell me about it…" Hermione muttered solemnly. They were silent for a while.

"You know…I just realised the other day…We're graduating soon." Lily said slowly, her expression something between excitement and anxiety. "And…I don't even know where I'll go after Hogwarts," She said, sounding troubled.

Hermione arched a brow at her friend. "Didn't you send your application to St Mungo's?"

Lily nodded. "I did, but what if they don't accept me?" She asked with a hint of panic in her voice. "And I have to get out from my parents place. Petunia and her fiancé are living there since they're saving for their own home, and I just can't live there if he's going to stay there. I hate him. He's really awful, you know…" She muttered with a frown as she worked with the bulbs.

Hermione sighed inwardly. _Oh, she knew exactly how awful Vernon Dursley was._ "Yeah, I understand it could get a bit crowded in there…How about James? Have you two considered moving in together?" Hermione asked nonchalantly.

Lily froze and turned to look at her. "Has he said something?"

Hermione chuckled. "No. Why?"

Lily shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, I'd like that, maybe…But I don't know if it's too soon…And, well…He hasn't even asked me," She prattled hastily and stared at Hermione with a worried look, biting her lip.

Hermione suppressed a laugh and only smiled at her friend. "I'm sure he'll ask." She said and nudged her friend reassuringly. They continued their work and planned their upcoming girls' night.

* * *

 **May 5th 1978 (Friday)**

As Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table on Friday morning, she glanced at the Slytherin table after taking a sip of her coffee – and nearly choked on her drink. Regulus was sitting there, having a staring contest with Sirius, who sat next to Hermione. There was something odd about his looks...and something familiar…

"Sirius…" Hermione said slowly, trying to keep her tone calm as her gaze shifted to the Black sitting next to her.

Sirius turned to look at her, his lips tugging upwards. "Yes, kitten?"

"What did you do to Regulus?" She asked quietly and gave him a withering look.

He grinned at her. "What? I didn't quite catch that?" He asked with a loud voice.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and looked back to the Slytherin table. Regulus's hair looked exactly like Sirius's at the moment, exactly the same length and equally shaggy. Regulus was shaking his head in bored exasperation as he ate his breakfast.

Sirius was beside himself with joy. "I've always told him he ought to loosen up a bit." He said and winked at Hermione, who rolled her eyes at him.

"Like what you see?" He asked and waggled his brows.

"Ugh. Please stop. You're making me lose my appetite…" Hermione growled to him.

The rest of the boys eyed their conversation with amusement while Lily, Mary and Alice were engaged in a conversation about Alice's wedding.

"Speaking of appetite…" Sirius drawled. "You know, he's of-age now…" Sirius said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Hermione arched a brow. "And?"

"It's now legal for him to engage in _certain activity_ …" He said with a teasing voice, sniggering when she blanched.

James snorted into his pumpkin juice while Remus and Peter chuckled. The girls luckily didn't hear their conversation. It wasn't like Hermione wanted for anyone to know about her…relationship with Regulus. But she wasn't going to just sit there and let Sirius embarrass her.

"For your information, Sirius, he's been engaging in _lots_ of different activities before this day." Hermione whispered to him, eyeing him with a pointed look.

"Yuck…" Sirius gagged, making a face, while James, Remus and Peter sniggered at their friend.

* * *

Later that night Hermione met Regulus in the Room of Requirement.

"Hey," Hermione said as she stepped into the Grimmauld Place library and walked up to him.

Regulus was sitting in an armchair, his homework sprawled on the coffee table in front of him. Hermione put her bag on the floor, next to his.

"Hey." He said and looked at her as he stood up, his expression unreadable. He took her hand and pulled her closer.

"I have something for you," Hermione said softly as he leaned forward to brush his lips against hers.

"Oh? Can I have something else first?" He murmured against her lips, a small grin tugging his lips as he placed small kisses on the corners of her lips.

 _How could she refuse when he asked so nicely?_

"Mm-hmm…" She hummed as his mouth slowly worshipped hers, his hands fluttering along her sides, rubbing her hips and then skimming up to cup her breasts.

With a whimper, her lips parted, giving his tongue access. Her hands found their way to his shaggy black locks, tugging him closer to her. Her skin burned under his touch as he slid his fingers under her shirt, and then he parted from her momentarily, only to pull the shirt over her head. Regulus wasted no time and leaned back to continue his ministrations, caressing her with his fingertips and ravishing her mouth with his lips, tongue and teeth before he proceeded to take off the rest of her clothes.

* * *

Some time later, they were lying on the floor, on top of a large Persian rug, catching their breaths. Hermione relished in his closeness, his warmth, and the feelings he stirred inside her, while Regulus stared deeply into her eyes, his eyes filled with adoration.

For a moment, it seemed that he was about to say something, but then he closed his mouth and averted his eyes, making her feel a bit disappointed. _What was that about?_

Regulus grabbed his wand from the table near them, summoned a blanket and placed it over them.

"You had something for me?" He asked softly as his fingertips skimmed along her curves.

"Well, yes, I have…" She said hesitantly, studying his features.

Regulus merely lifted his brows questionably and leaned over to kiss her lips chastely.

Hermione smiled and reached for her schoolbag which was lying close to them and took a small parcel from one of its pockets. She gave it to him, eyeing him with an uncertain look.

"Happy birthday," She said softly.

Regulus gave her a delighted smile and opened the gift. He pulled a golden chain out from the box. At the end of the chain was a small pocket watch.

"Oh…Thank you." He murmured slowly, eyeing the watch with a contemplative look.

"Do you not like it?" Hermione asked with a frown, watching his reaction closely.

He glanced at her. "Of course I do, love. It's just that…a watch can represent different things in pureblood culture…Depending on who is presenting the gift." He said a bit cautiously, a calculative look in his eyes.

"Oh?" Hermione lifted her brows at him in puzzlement. She had always felt a bit annoyed and left out regarding pureblood traditions. There really were no books where she could learn about them, and while the Weasleys were pureblood, they weren't really following any traditions or customs, except gifting a watch on witch's or wizard's seventeenth birthday. And she wasn't aware there could've been some hidden meanings behind it.

Regulus cleared his throat. "The um...certain gifts, like a watch, that are exchanged outside family, between a witch and a wizard, signify an understanding." He said quietly, his eyes flickering to hers.

 _Was he nervous?_

Hermione stared at him in confusion before she understood. "Oh…Oh! You mean…a relationship or something like that?"

A smile tugged at his lips. "A betrothal." He merely said.

Hermione's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something but Regulus cut her off.

"But you didn't know that, so…I'm not really treating this that way." He said and smiled at her expression.

"Oh." She merely said and tried to ignore the mixed feelings of disappointment and relief.

"But really, it's amazing. Thanks love." He said and kissed her lips softly before examining the watch more closely.

"What's…This is not a…" He mumbled at the watch before glancing at her with a puzzled expression.

Hermione smirked. "Yes, actually it's not just a pocket watch." She said with a satisfied smile.

"Oh?" He said, looking a bit surprised. "I can feel some charms in it. What is it?" He asked, examining the watch with an intrigued look in his eyes.

"It's a compass. Although it will show you the time as well, but when you hold it in your hands and think of a certain thing, it will change into a compass, and ultimately will lead you to where you want to go." She explained.

He frowned. "And what should I think of?" He asked, glancing at her before studying the piece in his hands.

"Something your heart desires the most." She said simply, and blushed furiously when the clock in his palm changed into a compass, and its red arrow pointed straight to her.

He grinned at her. "I guess it works."

She averted her eyes in embarrassment and pressed her lips together. "I think I don't want to stay on the floor, so, um…" She muttered, standing up and gathered her clothes from the floor. Regulus stared at her as she got dressed, his eyes now giving nothing away. How he managed to do that, to close himself off like that, was beyond her grasp.

Regulus eventually stood up as well and put his clothes on while Hermione was rummaging about her schoolbag, pulling a couple of heavy tomes from it. Her hands stilled before she put the books on the table next to his schoolwork.

"We don't have to do schoolwork if you'd rather do something else? I mean, it is your birthday…" She said hesitantly.

Regulus smiled at her. "I don't mind. But…can I borrow a quill?"

"Sure. Although…Why aren't you using one of those?" She asked, frowning at the five quills which were lined neatly on the table.

He rolled his eyes. "I guess my brother thought it was funny to charm every single one of my quills to write _arse face_ when I'm trying to write my name." He said and Hermione tried to hold back a snort. "Makes writing your essays a bit difficult when the professors expect them to be named."

"I'm sorry Reg…" She said, grinning, and looking anything but. "Here, luckily I have always an extra quill with me." She said and handed him a charm-free quill.

"Thanks."

"So…What about your hair?" She asked slowly. It was still a perfect copy of his brother's hair, now even shaggier, if possible, after their activities.

He groaned. "Don't remind me. Sirius won't charm it back, and I haven't really found anything that would work on it…" He said with a hint of despair and gestured at the table. Now that she had a better look at the books scattered on it, she noticed they weren't all school books.

"Oh…" She said, her mouth curving a bit in amusement. _The Blacks and their hair…_

He sat down on the couch and pulled the pocket watch from the pocket of his slacks, examining it a bit further. "Revealing Charm?" He asked, and Hermione nodded. "Point me Charm?" He asked again, and she nodded.

"Do you recognise the spells?" She asked, eyeing him curiously.

"Yeah."

Hermione was impressed. It wasn't that easy to do without a help of a wand.

"What else?" He asked.

"A modified Epoximise - a Transfiguration spell that bonds two objects together," She explained and he nodded.

"It's impressive." He said earnestly. "You're very talented." He said with an affectionate smile and put the watch back to his pocket. Hermione blushed at his compliments.

"Thanks. So…shall we look into a spell for your hair, or…?"

"No, he'll change it back eventually. You want to revise for NEWTs?" He asked absently, making room on the table.

"Okay," She smiled.

After studying the rest of the evening, they both decided to stay in the Room of Requirement for the night, opting to go to sleep early, as Regulus had a Quidditch match next morning.

* * *

 **May 6th 1978 (Saturday)**

"Are you awake?" Regulus murmured against her neck as the first rays of the rising sun began to brighten his bedroom between the curtains hanging around the windows.

"Mm-hmm…" Hermione hummed in response, still somewhere between sleep and awake.

Regulus's hand was resting on her hip and his fingers were lazily drawing patterns on her bare skin. He pressed soft kisses on the nape of her neck while his hand trailed down to follow the curve of her bum. It was a lovely way to wake up, Hermione thought and arched against him as his fingers caressed her skin.

Then his wand started buzzing. Regulus let out a soft groan of frustration. "I have to go…" He said and when Hermione turned to look at him, he leaned down to kiss her lips slowly, sweetly, before he pulled away and stood up from his bed.

Hermione sighed but followed and after they were both clothed, they went back to his library to gather their belongings.

"What's that?" Hermione asked as she saw a silver envelope, with decorations around its edges. It had been under his Transfiguration book, and she had missed it the previous night.

Regulus took the envelope from the table. "My cousin's getting married." He said simply and pushed it into his schoolbag with the rest of his books.

Hermione blanched. _Cousin…Narcissa? Narcissa Malfoy? As in, Malfoy Manor. The Diary…Merlin!_

"Oh. When? Where?" She asked, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.

Regulus seemed to notice and frowned at her slightly. "Malfoy Manor. June 21st." He said and gave her a wary look.

"Okay." Hermione said nonchalantly.

He arched a brow at her.

"Go, now…You'll be late!" She exclaimed, trying to change the subject.

Hermione could see that Regulus wanted to ask about her sudden interest on his relatives, but he chose not to continue the conversation. Instead he smirked at her. "You're going to wear green?" He asked, even though they both knew she wouldn't.

Hermione shrugged. "Perhaps," She said, smiling mischievously and reached up to kiss him one last time before he left the Room of Requirement.

* * *

The Slytherin-Hufflepuff match was quite unpredictable. And unnerving. As soon as the whistle was blown, both teams were fighting tooth and nail for the Quaffle, Chasers searing through the pitch as Bludgers flew in every direction. Several goals were scored by both teams, and when Slytherin made their 28th goal, James groaned loudly while Sirius was cursing next to him.

Gryffindor was leading in the points at the moment, and although their team still had one game left, they would now need to score many goals in order to secure the Quidditch Cup. The more the Slytherin now got points, the more the Gryffindors had to score in their next match.

"Fucking Slytherins…" Sirius grumbled, as they saw the Slytherin Chaser, Andrew Higgs score another goal.

James was clenching his jaw. "Pads, if they get sixty more points, we're tied…"

"I fucking know, mate" Sirius hissed to him. "Fuck…Fucking Reggie better not get the Snitch…"

Hermione and Lily glanced at each other behind them, amused by the boys' distress.

"You know, Pads, I think he might just get it, look," Remus said next to Sirius, pointing at Regulus, who was flying through the pitch, his eyes locked into something.

"Fuuuuck!" Sirius and James groaned in unison, drawing a severe look from McGonagall who was sitting at the next Quidditch stand.

Regulus got the Snitch. James, Sirius, and the rest of the Gryffindors wailed in despair, while every Slytherin supporter cheered wildly. The Slytherin was now leading in the points, making the last, upcoming match important and very interesting.

As Regulus flew past their stand, he slowed his speed notably and gave his brother a quick lift of his brows, a wide grin splitting his face. Sirius scowled and replied by sticking two fingers up at him. Hermione pressed her lips together to suppress the snort that was threatening to come out and heard Lily snigger beside her. The rest of their group eyed the brothers with amusement, and then the younger Black flew back to his team, ready to celebrate their victory.

* * *

After the game, Hermione went straight to the Headmaster's office. They had agreed to meet and talk about the mission regarding the diadem, as well as trying to figure out how Gideon and Fabian would be able to travel to Albania without being noticed by anyone.

"Well, how about this; we'll go on a small vacation to Corfu, one of the islands of Greece, and we make it seem like we're there just to have fun and relax. And after making sure we're not followed, we'll travel to Albania by boat, in case there's someone monitoring apparition. We'll transfigure our looks a bit, and start searching for the diadem." Fabian said matter-of-factly, eyeing the others.

Gideon arched a brow at him. "So, what, you'll expect us to search through the whole country?"

Fabian rolled his eyes at his brother. "Well, it would be beneficial to know some details of the possible location…" He said with a smirk and turned to look the Headmaster expectantly.

"I will consult the Grey Lady about it," Dumbledore said, looking thoughtful. "I believe your plan is otherwise sufficient. Since we do not know if there is someone monitoring the people arriving through apparition or other magical transportation or guarding the diadem, it is best to be careful and take as much precautions as possible." He said grimly.

"When would you leave?" McGonagall asked curiously.

"As soon as the term ends," Gideon said simply, and McGonagall nodded.

"But what if you don't find it?" Hermione asked with her brows furrowed. "How long will you be searching for it?"

Gideon glanced at the Headmaster before he spoke. "I suppose a month or two. Otherwise people will start asking questions about Fabian's absence at the DMLE."

Hermione nodded. "If we are ready with the mission regarding the diadem, I have rather important news." She said anxiously, eyeing the others with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

Everyone stared at her curiously.

"We have a shot at the diary." She said steadily.

Dumbledore's brows lifted up. "Oh? By all means, enlighten us," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice. McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian all stared at her intently and equally surprised.

"Yes. Regulus mentioned that his cousin, Narcissa is getting married. In the Malfoy Manor. And as we've discussed, it is a possible place for the diary, along with the Malfoy vault in Gringotts, of course." Hermione explained quickly.

Everyone was taking in the news, looking contemplative, and Dumbledore was the first to speak.

"When does the wedding take place?" He asked hastily.

"June 21st." Hermione said.

"Thank you, Hermione. This is indeed important news. Since this is a unique opportunity to acquire the diary, we have to form a plan immediately, in order to seize it." Dumbledore said severely, his fingers crossed on the table and a deep frown lining his brow.

"Well, there's one option that's quite obvious." Hermione said plainly. The others eyed her in puzzlement. "I'll go with Regulus." She said, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"No." Dumbledore said, shaking his head.

"What? Sir – I mean, uncle, I'm perfectly capable of –"

"Hermione, it's too dangerous," Gideon said, frowning at her.

Hermione scoffed. "It's a _wedding_. It's not some Death Eater gathering, and I highly doubt that Voldemort is invited into it," She said dryly.

Gideon shook his head. "You don't know that…And even if he isn't, the place _will_ still be crawling with Death Eaters, Hermione."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and glanced at Fabian, who merely shrugged. When she turned to her Head of House, she saw McGonagall eyeing her with her lips pursed.

McGonagall sighed and turned to the Headmaster. "Albus…I believe it could work. If Hermione is in a disguise, she could succeed by attending the party with young Mr. Black. She's the only one who knows what the diary looks like, and…then there is the fact that she has been in the Malfoy Manor before," She said, cringing a bit in the end and giving Hermione an apologetic look.

Hermione wasn't disconcerted by McGonagall mentioning her previous visit to the Manor, and was only excited that someone other than herself thought that she could get involved with the mission.

Dumbledore frowned. "Hermione? What are your thoughts on this? Even if I would not like to see you in danger, I cannot deny Minerva has a point. Do you trust Mr. Black? Will he protect you if you are endangered?" He asked dubiously.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he'll protect me. I trust him." She said confidently. "And I'm ready. I want do to this." She said with determination.

Gideon opened his mouth to argue but the look McGonagall gave him made him close his mouth.

"What about her disguise?" Fabian asked, eyeing the Headmaster before he turned to Hermione. "I mean, you can't really put on a dress and say your name is Hermione Dumbledore…?" He said with a smirk tugging at his lips.

Hermione worried her lip in thought, but McGonagall spoke before she could think of anything to say.

"Her looks can be transfigured, and they could say she's a foreigner, on a vacation from France. A half-blood, so that she wouldn't draw that much attention to herself." McGonagall said briskly to the others and glanced at Hermione. "You speak French, correct?" She asked and Hermione nodded.

"There you have it," McGonagall said simply, and everyone was silent for a moment.

"Very well, Hermione. You may take part in the mission in order to acquire the diary. You should go this over with Regulus as soon as possible, but if you can, do not include him in with the information about the Horcruxes. I suggest we keep the knowledge from him as long as we can, since the risk of Voldemort finding out about our operations will increase by the amount of information he has," Dumbledore said, eyeing Hermione solemnly.

She nodded in understanding. She knew Regulus would find out about them – and everything else soon enough, but it was best that he, and everyone else, was kept from the information as long as possible. The less people knew, the better their chances of succeeding were. And even though she trusted Regulus, she knew that it was dangerous for him to know certain things, as Voldemort was the greatest Legilimens there was.

"After you have discussed this with him, I ask for you to share the plan with us, so that we know of every detail." Dumbledore said kindly.

Hermione nodded. "Of course."

* * *

"Finally! Where were you?" Mary exclaimed as Hermione entered the girls' dormitory, coming straight from the Headmaster's office.

"I was meeting the Headmaster," Hermione said vaguely and changed the subject. "So, has the Hogwarts' grapevine already been shared?" She asked with a small smirk as she discarded her robes, which were draped over her muggle clothing, and folded them neatly on the top of her school trunk. Hermione then walked to Lily's bed and sat on the foot of it, next to the redhead. Alice and Mary were sitting on Alice's bed, next to Lily's.

Alice sniggered. "No, we decided to save it for later, just so you wouldn't miss anything," she said and winked at her. They all knew Hermione didn't exactly enjoy gossiping, but they wanted her to join the talk just for their own amusement.

"But now, into more demanding subjects," Mary said in a severe tone as she stood up and rummaged through Alice's bedside table. "A-ha!" She exclaimed as she pulled three bottles of Elderflower wine from the drawer.

Lily and Hermione lifted their brows in a mix of bewilderment and suspicion, while Alice clapped her hands excitedly. Mary filled four glasses and handed those to the girls.

"How did they even fit in there?" Lily asked and frowned at the small drawer of the table.

Mary smirked at her. "Not the only bright witch here, Lils."

Lily shook her head in amusement, grumbling under her breath something about focusing one's talent into something that counted.

"Um…What should we drink to?" Hermione asked as they lifted their glasses.

"Hmm…How about…Figuring out an ultimate prank which we can pull on the guys?" Mary asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Alice snorted. "I like the sound of that…"

Hermione and Lily nodded in agreement, both grinning slyly.

"But how? What? I mean, it has to be _good_. They aren't exactly that moronic, even though you might get that impression of them at times…" Lily said thoughtfully, and Hermione, Alice and Mary giggled while sipping the wine from their glasses.

They were silent for a while as everyone thought about possible pranks.

"Okay, how about we break into their dorm?" Alice suggested.

Mary frowned. "Yeah, that's okay but…we have to actually _do_ something in there, not just break in there…" She said thoughtfully.

"Hmm…How about…invisible ink in their toothpaste?" Alice offered, making Hermione and Mary burst in laughter.

"No, absolutely not! You forget that I have to kiss one of them…And who knows how long it will take to wear out…" Lily protested, gulping her glass empty. Mary flicked her wand and all glasses were filled.

Lily gave Mary a withering look, and the brown-haired girl merely shrugged innocently.

"Okay, what if we just leave a message for them, that they'll know we were there. I mean, they pride themselves with the fact that no one can enter there without their permission…They must've used some wards on their dorm. Which brings me to the next matter. How are we going to enter there?" Lily asked, eyeing the others and chewing her lip in contemplation.

"I can probably dismantle the wards," Hermione said and shrugged when the others stared at her with their brows lifted. "What? It's not like we haven't gone through basic wards on DADA…" She said defensively. Although they all knew the Marauders wouldn't use basic wards if they truly wanted for no one to enter their dorm.

"Okay then, that's settled!" Mary said enthusiastically, filling their glasses once more.

An hour or so later, the girls were all properly tipsy; giggling to every bit of gossip they had and shared.

They talked a bit about Alice's wedding, and the place she and Frank were going to move after graduation. Frank had apparently been gifted some gold by his aunt, to help the new family of two settle down. Their new home was a decent sized cottage, in a small wizarding village, not far from Godric's Hollow.

Mary told them she would be staying with her parents for a while, as she wanted to save money for her own apartment. She had applied for a secretary position in the Administrative Registration Department of the Ministry, and had already been given the job based on her OWLs. She would be starting as soon as the school ended. Mary had also applied for the Healer training at St Mungo's, and would work in the Ministry until the training started – if she'd get in.

Hermione listened to their plans and wished she too had everything planned like that. Even though she had secured an apprenticeship, she had no idea where she would be living…With Ab? She didn't have enough gold to live on her own. And she didn't even know if Ab would have enough shifts for her to work during the weekends. She sighed inwardly.

"So…There's something I've wanted to tell you…" Lily said excitedly, her voice slurring a bit. "James asked me to move in with him!" Lily squealed, jumping on her bed in excitement.

"Ooh!" Mary and Alice squealed, both beaming at their friend, along with Hermione.

"To Godric's Hollow?" Hermione asked automatically, and nearly slammed a hand on her mouth when Lily turned to look at her incredulously.

"How in the name of Merlin did you know about it?" Lily asked in a demanding voice.

Hermione winced. _Shit…_

"Oh…um…James or Sirius must've mentioned the place earlier…I mean, it belongs to his family, right?" Hermione asked, and visibly relaxed when Lily smiled and nodded to her.

"Yeah, it does. And although I haven't seen the cottage yet, he told me it's beautiful. I can't wait to move in with him…" She mumbled, her eyes glazing as she stared dreamily ahead. _Perhaps they'd enjoyed a bit too much of the wine…_

Mary snorted. "Oi! Stop dream-shagging your boyfriend on every surface of your new place!" She said with laughter in her voice. Lily blushed furiously and the others giggled.

"So, Hermione…You've been very secretive about your love life…" Alice quipped, eyeing Hermione suspiciously.

Hermione cringed. "What love life?"

Lily rolled her eyes, as did Mary and Alice.

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you think we haven't noticed you and a certain…young _black_ -haired boy...Ogling each other every other second, thinking that no one notices?" Mary asked pointedly.

Hermione's eyes widened and she turned to look at Lily.

Lily lifted her hands defensively. "I haven't said anything," she said with a shrug.

Hermione sighed and turned back to Mary and Alice. "How long have you known?"

Mary and Alice shared a look. "Since our last Quidditch party." Mary said nonchalantly.

"What?" Hermione stared them in horror. "Since March? How?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Well, you do remember the drinking game we were playing? With Veritaserum? And when Marley asked you if you'd been with anyone?" She asked, frowning a bit at Marlene's name.

Hermione nodded. How could she forget that one?

"Well, since we all gathered it was a recent occurrence, we started to pay attention to you. And soon we figured it out." Alice said and exchanged a devilish grin with Mary.

Mary and Alice tried to high-five but their hands didn't really meet. After a couple of tries they gave up and turned back to the others.

"So…you communicate with him through a charmed galleon?" Mary asked, eyeing her knowingly while Alice hiccoughed.

Hermione cursed inwardly and looked down. How could she have been so stupid, so careless? And who else knew?

"Hey. We won't tell anyone. You can trust us," Alice said, smiling at her kindly. Hermione eyed the girls. Her friends. Of course she trusted them.

She eventually smiled back and nodded. They continued their earlier discussion about the prank they were going to pull on the boys, trying to think of a suitable time when they could put it in action.


	31. Break-ins and break offs

**Chapter 31: Break-ins and break offs**

**May 7th 1978 (Sunday)**

"Pads…You reckon the girls look a bit…I dunno, like they're suffering the Irish flu?" James asked with a smirk on his lips as he and his friends eyed the four girls who had just arrived for breakfast in the Great Hall.

The girls indeed were feeling a bit under the weather after downing all three bottles of strong Elderflower wine Mary had stashed into their dorm last night.

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, I reckon they do…Next time remember to invite me, ladies. I would _love_ to be part of your little booze induced slumber party…" He said, waggling his brows.

Lily, Mary and Alice groaned while Hermione sent a brief scowl at him. She then turned her eyes to look over the Great Hall. Most of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were present, but the Slytherin table was almost empty, with only the first and second years eating their breakfast quietly. She assumed everyone else was recovering from their grand celebration last night – the Slytherin Quidditch team had gained a leading spot in the league, scoring several points, and they now had a good shot on winning the Quidditch Cup if neither of the teams playing the last match of the year would make enough points.

Lily assessed the boys. "You lot don't look that chirpy yourselves..." She said thoughtfully as she took a sip from the tea James had poured her.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, _someone_ decided to go through tactics last night…" He muttered, eyeing James with annoyance.

James narrowed his eyes. "Well, we better start to step up our game as soon as possible, since our last match is in a few weeks. And there's a _lot_ of work to do before that…" He said, and was about to continue when Remus interrupted him.

"Prongs, please. Can you just, you know, lay off for a second, yeah?" Remus asked with a pleading look, with dark circles under his eyes as he filled his plate with bacon and eggs.

James pouted a bit but let go eventually, when Lily disrupted him with Head's business.

"So, Pete, have you heard about your apprenticeship yet?" Sirius asked from Peter, who was sitting beside him.

Peter chewed down his toast before he spoke. "Yeah, I have, actually. I received a preliminary acceptance from the rune translator. He'll still need my NEWT results though, but according to Professor Babbling, the results are merely a testimonial in this case." He said with a shrug and reached for another toast.

Remus beamed at Peter from the other side of the table. "That's great, Pete."

Peter smiled back. "Yeah, I think so too. And my parents were so thrilled about it that they decided to rent a small flat for me," He said and shook his head in amazement.

"What about you, Moony?" Peter asked. "Have you received any news?"

Remus shook his head. "No. But I've just sent my applications so I reckon I'll hear about the schools maybe in a month." He said.

"You're gonna stay with your folks?" Peter asked.

Remus shrugged. "I suppose that's the only option for me…" He replied sullenly.

Hermione glanced at Remus. "I know how you feel," She said and gave him a helpless shrug.

Sirius turned to look at her. "Oh? Do tell, kitten, what exactly are your plans after Hogwarts?" He asked curiously.

Hermione pursed her lips at the nickname, as it still irritated her from time to time. "Well, I got accepted into an apprenticeship as a potioneer, and it's starting in August." She said with a small smile. "But, like Remus, I'm afraid I have to rely on my parent's help regarding my living arrangements as the apprenticeship doesn't really pay that much." She said and let out a weary sigh.

Sirius smiled at her. "You know, I _do_ have my own place. With plenty of space," He said with a wink. Hermione arched a brow at him.

"You're both more than welcome to stay with me," Sirius said and grinned, looking between Hermione and Remus. "I mean, Remus can have the other bedroom for himself, since, you know, he's my mate." Sirius continued with a mischievous glint in his eyes, while Remus rolled his eyes at him.

"Oh? And where would that leave me?" Hermione asked sharply, already guessing his answer.

Sirius tapped his fingers against his lips in contemplation. "Well, I would offer you to join me in the master bedroom, but since I know it might be too tempting for you, you're welcome to stay on the couch." He said and chuckled.

James shook his head from the opposite side of the table, while Hermione huffed. "Oh, how gracious of you. Even though you _have_ three bedrooms." She said pointedly. "Nevertheless, I have to decline your offer."

Sirius sniggered. "Oh? Care to enlighten me why?"

"Well, perhaps it's just that. Couldn't resist the temptation," She said in a mocking tone, her eyes narrowing playfully.

Sirius barked a laugh. "You and me both, honey." He said with a wide grin.

Hermione merely shook her head exasperatedly, supressing a smile.

"So, Moony? How about?" Sirius winked at Remus.

Remus shook his head. "Sorry Pads, but…I'm a light sleeper. And I know for a fact that you're not capable of casting a silencing charm…" He muttered, eyeing him with a pointed look while James and Peter snorted next to them. Sirius merely rolled his eyes while Hermione and Lily lifted their brows with disapproval. It wasn't exactly a secret that Sirius had been 'seeing' many girls during the spring.

"Oh, come on Moony. You're just jealous you're not getting a piece of this amazing body," He said with a smirk, pointing at himself.

Remus sighed. "Whatever helps you sleep at nights, Pads." He muttered.

"Trust me. One night with me and they'd call you the Moaning Myrtle," Sirius grinned, lifting his brows knowingly.

The girls, James and Peter all burst in laughter, while Remus seemed to be equally embarrassed and amused.

"And that, my friend, is one more reason not to live with you…Who knows what ideas you'd get in your head..." Remus said incredulously.

Sirius sniggered.

"But really, thanks for offering." Remus eventually said with a grateful smile.

Sirius waved his hand in dismissal. "Anytime, love."

* * *

After breakfast, Hermione was trying to decide between going to the potions lab and going back to bed. She'd been at the potions lab every Sunday, making a decent progress with the antidotes, but she was still feeling a bit tired from last night. The charmed galleon in her pocket heated suddenly. She quickly picked it up, and glanced at the others who were finishing their meals and slowly getting up from the table, before looking at the message Regulus had sent.

 _Need help in RoR -RB_

She sent a reply to him, asking what did he need her to help with, but he didn't answer anything. Hermione frowned and put the galleon back into her pocket as she stood up, and followed her friends.

"Lils, I have to see the Headmaster, so I'll see you in the dorm, okay?" Hermione said hastily and walked to the other direction as their group reached the hallway.

"Okay," Lily replied, giving her a knowing look.

* * *

"Reg? You sent a message. Is everything okay?" Hermione asked with worry as she walked across the Grimmauld Place library towards the open door of Regulus's bedroom. He was lying on his bed, the heavy, dark green curtains in front of the windows drawn shut.

"Yeah, I just wanted you to hand me the sober-up potion," He said, glancing at the small desk close to his bed.

Hermione stopped dead on her tracks and scoffed at him. "You're not serious."

"No…I'm Regulus," He said with a lazy smirk.

Her nostrils flared. She summoned a pillow and sent it to whack him on his head.

"Ouch! I'm sorry love," He chuckled, lifting his hands to cover his face. He then flicked his wand towards the pillow and it settled neatly on the bed, next to him.

Hermione arched a brow. _Clearly, he didn't need her to hand him a sober-up if he had his wand in reach…_

"It was a joke, okay? I just wanted to be with you." He said sincerely.

Her expression softened. She looked at him, chewing her lip as she saw his bare chest, his full lips slightly parted, and his grey eyes staring at her with such intensity.

"Come here," He murmured, holding his hand out for her.

She didn't hesitate and lowered herself next to him, staring into his eyes as he pulled her closer to him. They didn't speak for a while, but only looked into each other's eyes as their bodies entwined.

"You spent the night in here?" Hermione asked eventually.

"Yeah."

"Did you have fun last night? At the party?" She asked, and assumed he had been drinking, since she could smell the Firewhiskey in his breath.

"Did you?" He asked instead.

"Well, yes. Mary surprised us with a few bottles of Elderflower wine…" She said, her finger following the line of his collarbone.

"Oh?" He asked, and his brows lifted a bit. She knew he was steering the conversation away from himself. He'd done it before, when she had asked something he didn't wish to answer. She reckoned it had something to do with him staying in the Room of Requirement instead of the Slytherin Dungeons.

"They know about you." Hermione said quietly, eyeing him hesitantly.

She watched the muscles in his throat working as he swallowed hard. "Oh. That's unfortunate." He said blankly, turning away from her, to rest on his back.

Hermione tried not to feel hurt by his sudden withdraw. "They won't tell anyone." She said softly, brushing her fingers against his cheek. His eyes fluttered shut and he took a deep breath.

"Are you going to tell me about your sudden interest at my cousin and her wedding?" He asked, his eyes still closed. Hermione's hand shook a bit.

He opened his eyes and glanced at her with a knowing look.

Hermione sighed. "I actually wanted to talk about it with you…"

"I figured," He muttered and turned to lie on his side again, watching her closely.

"Well…um. There's something I need. Something in Malfoy Manor, that I need to acquire." She explained carefully, watching his reaction.

He stared at her with an unreadable expression, waiting for her to continue.

"I...I need to get in…" She said, looking at him pointedly.

His blank look faltered, and was replaced with tension.

"No."

"Regulus, just hear me out, okay? I need to get in, but I would disguise myself. We could figure out a cover story for me, say that I'm a foreigner who is merely on a holiday. You wouldn't have to do anything, except only to escort me in. After a while, I would just slip away for a short period and then I would leave early. You could say that I felt sick. Or you could say you barely knew me, and didn't know where I'd gone," She said and he stared at her with a heated look.

"Abso-fucking-lutely not." He gritted out, his eyes blazing.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Don't be crass. You sound like your brother." She scolded.

He scoffed. "You have got to be fucking kidding me." He said, shaking his head. "You would willingly attend my cousin's wedding, at the very place you were tortured? Where you would meet the person, who tortured you?" He asked incredulously. "And I'm not even going to begin to tell you how incredibly _stupid_ it would be to steal something from the Malfoys." He said with a cold voice, eyeing her with disappointment.

Hermione pressed her lips together and looked away. She knew where she would be going, but she didn't know how to feel about it. Was she frightened? Would she focus only on the mission when – _if_ – she would be there? What if she met Bellatrix? Surely, she would meet her. Bellatrix was Narcissa's sister. And what if she'd get caught?

They were silent for a while before Regulus spoke, his voice calmer now. "Hey. Just tell me what it is that you need and I'll get it for you," He murmured, taking her jaw gently between his fingers, turning her to look back at him.

Hermione shook her head. "I can't." She could see his expression harden again by her words.

He let out a frustrated groan and turned to lie on his back. "Not this again…" He muttered, pressing the heels of his palms over his eyes.

Hermione frowned. "I'm sorry. But…I really can't say what it is that I'm after. Reg…I have to do this. And I need you. I need you to be okay with this…" She said quietly.

He was quiet for some time before he turned to look at her. "Are you sure there's no other way? Where you wouldn't attend the wedding?" He asked grimly, although he already knew her answer.

"No."

He gave her a scrutinising look. "Fine." He finally grumbled.

* * *

 **May 10th 1978 (Wednesday)**

On Wednesday, Hermione, Alice and Lily were waiting for their Arithmancy class to start, while Mary was with the boys at the Care of Magical Creatures class.

"So, you reckon it's empty tonight?" Alice asked with a quiet voice.

At breakfast, they had heard that Remus and Peter would be going to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch practice that was scheduled for later that night. James had actually booked the pitch for every single night of the week, and wanted the rest of the Marauders' presence so that they could give him comments on their tactics and strategies. Sirius had been in a bad mood. Apparently, their practice on the previous night had taken a bit more time than was scheduled, as it had been close to midnight before the team members had finally dragged themselves to their dorms in the Gryffindor tower.

"Like he'd take any criticism well at this point," Sirius had muttered to Hermione and shovelled down his breakfast, downing several cups of coffee before they'd left to their classes. Hermione had merely patted his shoulder for comfort and continued her conversation with the girls.

"Well, you heard them at breakfast!" Lily said, grinning mischievously. "So, are we doing this or what?" She asked.

Hermione grinned. "Absolutely. I'll send a message to Mary." She said and dug from her pockets the charmed galleon she used with the girls.

 _It's on! –HD_

Soon Mary replied.

 _Oh my god! I'm sooo excited! –MM_

The girls laughed and when their Professor arrived, they entered the classroom with excited anticipation.

Their Arithmancy class had been a bit boring, as all the girls were waiting impatiently for dinnertime, so that they could put their plans into motion. Hermione was paired with Alice, while Lily sat with Snape. They were doing basic practices, converting their partner's name into numbers, and then reducing the numbers by adding them all up together. They would also study the meanings behind the numbers, before the name was reduced into one digit.

* * *

During Potions, Hermione worked with Snape, and they continued with the Polyjuice Potion they had started last week. Hermione was crushing the Bicorn Horn as Snape was adding the Boomslang skin to their cauldron.

"No, add three and a half measures." Hermione quipped next to him. Snape merely arched a brow at her.

Hermione sighed. "Fine. Do whatever you please. It's not like this is our joint project." She grumbled, giving the mortar an extra forceful hand movement.

"Careful there, you're going to ruin it!" He hissed.

"This is getting ridiculous! You can't be in charge every time we're making a potion together. We're supposed to co-operate…" She said exasperatedly, turning to stare at him. "You do know what that is, right?" She lectured, and could hear Sirius and James chuckle behind them.

Snape narrowed his eyes to her and turned his focus back to the potion. He added the extra half measure Hermione had asked for. She smiled to herself, and said nothing, only handing him the crushed ingredients when she was ready.

The rest of the class went quite well, in her opinion. Snape was tolerable, and actually smirked when the potion looked exactly like it was supposed to before they left it to brew until their next class. Slughorn made rounds in the class, and beamed when he saw their cauldron, praising their work this far.

After potions class, the girls were all starting to feel a bit giddy, and could barely hold themselves together at dinner. Luckily the boys – mainly James – were all preoccupied with Quidditch talk, so if the girls were acting strangely, they missed it.

* * *

"Shh! I can hear someone coming!" Mary whispered from the stairs. Hermione, Lily and Alice were standing in front of the door that led to the seventh-year boys' dormitory, while Mary was in the stairway to inform them if someone was approaching.

Even though they were all disillusioned, they had to stay very still, in order to make no sound, so the two sixth year boys who left their dormitory couldn't hear them.

"Okay, all clear now!" Mary whispered.

Hermione waved her wand again to the door. "They are creative little buggers. I mean, seriously. Muggle-Repelling Charm?" She muttered incredulously.

Alice giggled next to her. "Okay, I'll take it down. You focus on the next one," She said to Hermione.

Lily was working on dismantling the Cave inimicum spell.

"We don't have much time inside, if we have to place all the spells back," Lily huffed when she tried to take apart the spell again. "Argh! It's not working!"

"No, let me…" Hermione quipped, waving her wand to the door. "That should do it."

Lily arched a brow at her friend, and even though Hermione couldn't see it, she turned to where she thought Lily was situated.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just…You seem to be familiar with the protective charms…Even the advanced ones." Lily muttered.

Hermione sighed. "Let's just get this over with, okay? Try the door."

Lily tried and it opened. All girls squealed and rushed inside, waving their wands to undo their disillusionment charms.

"Wow…" Alice muttered. She was the only girl who hadn't been in the boys' dormitory before.

"Yeah. They're slobs." Mary said, scrunching up her nose.

Hermione and Lily sniggered. She wasn't wrong. The place was a mess. Discarded clothes, underwear, and magazines were littered everywhere. Some objects they didn't even recognize.

"So, where do we leave the message?" Alice asked, while eyeing Sirius's bed shrewdly. He had decorated the wall over his bedpost with pictures of muggle girls wearing bikini.

"That's disgusting." Mary commented as she came to stand next to Alice. Hermione chuckled. It brought back memories of the older Sirius, and their conversations in Grimmauld Place where he'd told Harry, Ron and her how he'd adorned his walls at home with similar pictures, just to annoy his mother.

"We are doing something else as well, right?" Mary asked, turning to look at the others.

"Oh! I know! Let's transfigure their underwear!" Alice said enthusiastically.

"Ew." Lily said, scrunching up her nose.

Hermione laughed. "Well, it's not like we have to touch them. We use our wands," She said and pointed her wand at the pile next to her, transfiguring a pair of Remus's briefs into lacy green panties.

Mary and Alice burst in laughter.

"But won't they charm them back immediately…?" Lily said unsurely.

Hermione eyed the fetching pair of underwear thoughtfully. "Oh! I got it! Use the _Immobulus_ Charm," She said and flicked her wand at the panties.

Alice tried to transfigure them back but nothing happened. "You're a genius!" She exclaimed. Chuckling, everyone went to work.

After every scrap of the boys' underwear was transfigured and immobilised, Lily stopped abruptly near the bathroom door, her gaze flickering to the empty parchments attached to the wall.

"What's this?" She muttered, waving her wand at them. Nothing happened. The others joined her.

"There must be a spell of some sort, to hide the contents." Lily pointed out. They tried a couple of spells on them.

Hermione frowned. She knew they had a special kind of 'password' for another parchment they used. But could she voice it in front of the girls? _Oh, sod it…_

" _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_ ," She muttered, pointing her wand to the parchments.

The content of the parchments started to reveal itself. Four gasps were heard, and then some cursing.

After a moment, all four girls stared at the parchments with satisfied smirks on their faces.

The first parchment, which was titled ' _Single girls in Hogwarts',_ and had previously listed every single girl, now had only two words on it, written in large letters; ' **Stalking much?'**

The next parchment, titled _'Fittest girls in Hogwarts',_ followed the pattern. The girls had wiped the four columns empty and instead written messages on them for the boys to read.

Even though both Remus and Peter had nominated Mary as the fittest girl in school, she wasn't that easily swayed. She had written on both columns; **'You're both dodgy creeps. Love – MM'**

Alice sent her own message, as her name was in Sirius's and Peter's columns. She'd written for them both; **'You're disgusting. –AB'**

Hermione had lifted her brows in shock as she'd seen her name in Sirius's list, as well as in Remus's. "That little beast!" She muttered, writing under Remus's column, while Lily supressed a giggle. **'You'll be hearing from this, Lupin. –HD'**

James's column had only one name. Hermione had rolled her eyes for the likelihood of it. Lily had almost swooned but then wrote to him. **'James, even though I appreciate the gesture, I still think it's disgusting to rate girls like this. –LE'**

To the parchment which was titled _'Dibs'_ they wrote yet another message and signed their names;

 **'So great to finally be here and go through your things.'**

 **-Lily**  
 **-Hermione**  
-Alice  
-Mary

They hadn't wiped the parchment, since it was almost empty anyway. Hermione's gaze flickered to Sirius's name on the parchment and then her own under it, written by him, supposedly when they were dating. _Why hadn't he taken it away?_

They left after admiring their work for a moment, placing the same protective spells that were in place earlier, and headed straight to their dorm, giggling through the evening.

* * *

 **May 11th 1978 (Thursday)**

The next morning the seventh year Gryffindor girls were all sitting in the Great Hall, sipping their tea and coffee and chatting with each other, while occasionally glancing at the doors that lead to the Great Hall.

When the Marauders finally arrived, the girls tried their best to keep a straight face, failing miserably. They burst down into giggles as James and Sirius sat down opposite to each other, next to Lily and Hermione respectively, both wearing annoyed looks and ignoring the girls' presence. Remus sat next to James, an embarrassed look on his face, while Peter was chewing the inside of his cheek nervously.

"Is everything okay?" Alice asked sweetly from the boys, glancing at the other girls with a sly look.

Hermione suppressed a snort.

Sirius turned to look at Alice. "Dunno. We're disgusting and dodgy creeps, remember?" He replied with an expressionless face, glancing at the girls.

"Oh, did we get your _knickers_ in a twist?" Mary asked cheekily. The girls burst in laughter. Everyone at their table eyed their glee with curiosity.

The boys seethed and glared at the girls. They apparently didn't take it well when someone pulled pranks on them.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Ookay..." She merely said, glancing at the girls with an incredulous look.

The day continued much like that. The boys didn't speak at them at all for the entire day, and it was getting ridiculous.

"Remus, can I speak with you for a moment?" Hermione asked as they were finishing dinner, and Sirius and James were soon heading towards Quidditch practice.

"Er…Yeah, sure." He said, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Library?" Hermione asked and Remus nodded, while Sirius and James were scowling at Remus, like he was supposed to say no.

When they had seated in a study corner with two armchairs surrounded by bookshelves, Hermione spoke.

"So, I had an idea." She said, worrying her lip with hesitation as she studied his expression.

"Oh?" He asked curiously.

"We both want to live on our own after school, right?" She asked intently.

He frowned at her. "Right…" He said slowly.

"Well, what if we moved in together?" She asked simply, smiling at him excitedly.

Remus blanched. "Oh! Hermione…I, um…" He stammered nervously, licking his lips. "I'm not…into you…" He said and winced.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed incredulously, and cringed when she could hear Madam Pince shush them from somewhere distant.

"I mean…You saw the parchment…" He said, grimacing at what it must've looked like to her. "And even though I think you're fit, I like you as a friend." He mumbled, looking away, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

Hermione burst in laughter. "Oh no!" She exclaimed quietly.

"No, Remus…I'm not asking you to move in with me romantically," She said between laughter. "I'm asking you to be my roommate." She continued and schooled her expression.

Remus's blush deepened and he hid his face in his palms. He groaned. "I'm sorry. I'm a sodding git…" He muttered.

Hermione sniggered. "No, you're not. But…What do you think?" She asked, prying his hands away from his face and giving him a nudge.

He stared at her in bewilderment. "Yeah. I'd like that." He said and smiled.

"Great! It's settled then," Hermione said enthusiastically.

"But only if I find a part time job. Otherwise I can't pay rent…Or food." He emphasised.

Hermione shrugged. "You'll figure something out." She said simply.

* * *

 **May 13th 1978 (Saturday)**

It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and Hermione had agreed to spend time with Ab and then join the girls for a late lunch in the Three Broomsticks. The boys opted to skip the Hogsmeade visit, since James had scheduled yet another Quidditch practice, and needed Remus's and Peter's attendance once again.

"Hi Ab!" Hermione called to the empty pub. There would be a good few hours before the pub opened, so she could discuss with him about her future.

Aberforth emerged from the back door. "Hi there," He grunted, a small curve of his lips telling her he was glad to see her.

"Tea?" He asked, before he jerked his head towards upstairs, signalling for her to follow him.

"Yes, thank you," She said and followed him to the sitting room. Hermione sat down on the couch, while he stretched on the comfortable armchair after flicking his wand and summoning a tea tray.

Hermione poured them both a cup and took her own to the couch with her, spreading her fingers around the cup, letting it warm her hands. Although it wasn't exactly cold outside anymore, it had a calming effect on her.

Ab took his cup and took a sip. "So, how are you?"

It had been many weeks since they'd talked with each other properly. Last time she'd been in the village, she had met with Molly. And even though they'd had lunch in the Hog's Head, Hermione had been a bit preoccupied with her friend, and the small twin babies, so she hadn't really had time to talk with Ab.

Hermione smiled. "Well, I got accepted into an apprenticeship," She said excitedly.

Ab's brows lifted. "Oh?"

"As a potioneer. McGonagall has this friend who offered me a place in his company, at their research and development department." She explained, and Ab beamed at her.

"Viridian?" He grunted, a smile tugging his lips.

"You know him?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

Ab nodded. "His son Inexpugnabilis was my classmate. Received a good scolding from his old man once," he muttered, staring ahead as if remembering his younger years.

Hermione pondered of what he said. He knew Viridian's son? While McGonagall, who certainly was younger than Ab, knew Viridian? She knew wizards and witches lived long lives, several times longer than muggles, so it wasn't exactly impossible for them to know each other.

She gave Ab a questioning look. "Inexpugnabilis?"

Ab merely chuckled.

"So Viridian…he's…all right?" Hermione asked awkwardly. Even though she trusted McGonagall's judge of character, it still didn't hurt to know what Ab thought about the man.

Ab nodded. "Yeah, he's one of the good ones, if you want to put it like that." He said and smiled.

"And, um…I'd like to move out and live on my own, after the schools ends." She said awkwardly. It wasn't like she needed his approval, or anything, but she also didn't really have any money, and she did need his help regarding that.

"You need money?" He asked bluntly.

Hermione blushed. "Actually, I thought if I you could give me some shifts for the weekends? I'll be receiving a small payment throughout the apprenticeship, but I reckon it's not enough to pay for my own living…" She muttered, eyeing him carefully.

Ab barked a laugh. "Of course I'll give you shifts, Hermione. And I'll pay your rent, during your training." He said simply.

Hermione gasped. "No, no, that's not necessary Ab," She hastily said.

"Nonsense!" He grunted. "It's settled then."

Hermione gaped at him, trying to figure how to argue him, but she knew the man well enough to know nothing would budge now. "Thank you, Ab." She said softly.

He nodded at her.

"I'm actually moving in with Remus, since he too is continuing his studies after Hogwarts, also with a low income, so we can both save a bit in the living expenses," Hermione explained.

Ab frowned at her. "You two are together then?" He asked warily.

Hermione laughed. "No, we're just friends." She said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Ab gave her a nod and glanced at her wrist, where the familiar bracelet was dangling. They hadn't exactly talked about Regulus and her relationship with him, but she reckoned that Ab knew they were more than friends.

They were silent for a while, both sipping their tea.

"So, how's business?" Hermione eventually asked.

Ab rolled his eyes. "Same old bag o' shite," He muttered, and Hermione giggled.

* * *

"So, Pads…How exactly did you manage to do this the last time, if you've just figured out the freezing charm works on the girls' staircase? And how the hell didn't we think of it sooner?" James asked incredulously, as the boys walked up the girls' staircase, towards the seventh years' dormitory.

Sirius chuckled. "I told you already, I went as Padfoot." He said with a shrug. "And, well, it's a second-year spell, so I didn't even think of it the last time. I actually got the idea from the sneaky little witches…you know…How they froze their transfiguration with the _Immobulus_ charm." He said with a wink. and James groaned.

"That had to be the most uncomfortable day I've ever experienced," Remus muttered. They hadn't figured out how to transfigure their underwear back until Thursday night, so they all had opted to go commando until that.

"I won't even begin to explain how uncomfortable it is to fly without underwear. Dunno how some people manage to do it…" Sirius grumbled as they reached top of the stairs.

Peter chuckled. "So, shall we?" He asked with a wicked grin, and opened the door.

All four boys walked in with curious expressions and started to wander around the room. James eventually hopped on Lily's bed and started to go through the drawers on her nightstand.

"Er…Prongs? Isn't that…you know…breaking some boundaries in a relationship?" Remus muttered awkwardly as he studied the books on Hermione's bedside table.

James arched a brow at him. "Says the guy who's going through his friend's things?"

Remus blushed slightly. "Well, it's not like I go through her trunk." He said and glanced pointedly at Sirius, who was rummaging Hermione's trunk at the end of her bed.

"What? I'm merely repaying the gesture," Sirius said innocently as he had gathered all her underwear in his hands and tucked them into his pockets.

James snorted. "You're not actually taking those with you?"

Sirius smirked. "Sure I am. Let's see how the girls feel without their knickers and bra." He said with a sly grin.

James and Peter sniggered, both starting to rummage Lily's and Alice's trunks. Remus eyed them hesitantly.

"Go on, Moony." Sirius said with a challenging look, nudging him towards Mary's trunk.

Remus chewed the inside of his cheek. "Sod it…" He muttered and went to open her trunk.

After they had finished going through their trunks and drawers, the boys decided to leave the girls a small note on their bathroom mirror, signing it like the girls had;

 **'It was nice to pay a visit as well. Hope you ladies don't mind of us taking a couple of souvenirs with us.'**

 **-James**  
 **-Sirius**  
 **-Remus**  
 **-Peter**

* * *

 **May 14th 1978 (Sunday)**

The girls had been furious after the prank the guys had pulled on them. But one thing was certain. They weren't going to beg them to give their clothes back. After the boys had been smirking at them the whole day, Hermione was glad to leave their company and head towards McGonagall's cottage, to practice the Fiendfyre curse with Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Prewetts.

She had agreed to meet Regulus afterwards in the Room of Requirement, and when she walked into the room, he jumped up from the couch and took quick strides towards her.

"Were you hurt?" He asked, studying her features with a hint of worry in his eyes. He took her wrist and brushed his thumb against it. She knew he was checking if she had the bracelet on.

"No," Hermione said softly, wrapping her hands around his neck.

He gave a small sigh of relief. "Good," He muttered, closing the distance between them and gave a chaste kiss to her lips.

Hermione pulled him closer, parting her lips, pressing herself against him. Regulus let out a stuttering puff of breath against her lips before his fingers took a hold of her waist with a firm grip. He placed hurried, open-mouthed kisses against her lips, jaw and neck, nibbling her skin and licking her lips, the innocent brushes of lips quickly forgotten. There was only urgency and heat between them, and Hermione could only focus on her breathing and hold on to him. His touch was burning her inside out.

Regulus slid his hands under her shirt, his fingers skimming her waist, moving slowly up. Suddenly, he gave a strangled moan as he reached her breasts.

"Fuck…" He panted against her neck, her lack of bra making him loose his focus.

Hermione stifled a grin at his reaction, but the amusement was soon wiped away from her as he started to caress her breasts, pinching her nipples in the most delicious way, making her whimper and arch against him while he simultaneously kissed her into stupor.

* * *

After a while they were sprawled next to each other in Regulus's bed, catching their breaths with sated expressions on their faces.

"What was that about?" Regulus muttered after a moment of silence, eyeing her with a drained look.

"Um…Sex?" Hermione asked with a small smirk playing on her lips.

He pinched her thigh, and Hermione squealed.

"You mean…going without underwear?" She asked and bit her lip to suppress a grin.

"Mm-hmm…" He hummed, pushing himself up on his elbow and placing a kiss on her shoulder.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well…The boys in our year stole them. Lily's, Mary's and Alice's too." She said with a disgruntled look.

Regulus's lips twitched with amusement. "Even though I don't really appreciate the thought that my brother goes through your knickers, I can't really blame them…I mean, I'm reaping the benefits." He said and lifted his brows at her briefly.

Hermione merely shook her head in exasperation. _Boys…_

* * *

 **May 18th 1978 (Thursday)**

The girls eventually got their underwear back, after promising the boys that they wouldn't break into their dorm again. Since there really was only a month or so left of school, they happily agreed, as long as the boys too would stay away from the girls' dormitory.

On Thursday afternoon after Charms, Sirius and James headed to Quidditch practice, while Hermione, Remus and Lily went to the library to revise for NEWTs. Many of the seating areas were taken; the library was quite packed, supposedly because of the upcoming end-of-year-exams, OWLs and NEWTs. Nevertheless, they managed to find a small reading nook next to the runes section with four armchairs in it.

They studied for their NEWTs in comfortable silence, occasionally changing thoughts about their texts.

* * *

After a couple of hours or so, when they'd moved onto their schoolwork, Lily went to search for a book for her potions project. As every pair had been brewing a different potion for the last month of classes, neither Hermione nor Remus could really give her comments, other than what they already knew about Ageing potion, which was what Lily and Alice had been working on.

As Lily reached the potions section, her eyes scanned through the shelves until she found what she was looking for - a spine with gold letters. She took the book and browsed it a bit, leaning against the bookshelf.

"Lily," Snape muttered behind her.

Lily blanched and turned around to look at him. "Godric, Severus…You gave me a fright," She uttered, her hand resting against her chest, to help her calm down.

Snape's mouth curved upwards a bit. "How are you?" He asked, his eyes viewing her with a blank look.

Lily shrugged, still feeling slightly hesitant about him. Still feeling unwilling to let him know everything that was going on with her and how she was doing. "I'm okay…And you?"

He nodded. "I'm good."

They were silent for a while. She wondered what he was doing there, why he had come to talk to her. Did he want to fix what was broken between them? Was this him trying? Him trying to do the right thing? She had to know…

"Would you…" She started, biting her lip.

"Yes?" Snape asked quickly, his eyes moving over her face, studying her features.

Lily sighed. "During summer, could we maybe meet? I mean, if I get into Mungo's, I'll probably be quite busy from September onwards, but perhaps before that…?" She asked hesitantly.

"You applied to Mungo's?" He asked quietly, a small smile forming on his lips.

When they'd been younger, Lily had mentioned more than once, that when she'd grow up, she wanted to be a Healer.

Lily nodded, feeling still a bit wary. "And you?"

"Potions apprenticeship."

Lily smiled. "How predictable."

Snape smirked at her. "I would like that…very much." He said, answering to her question, his features serious again.

She nodded, swallowing hard. "I've missed you, you know?" She said carefully, feeling the familiar pang of sadness as she thought about losing her friend.

His eyes flashed with something she wasn't able to identify. "Same here." He muttered, his eyes taking in every inch of her face again, as if he was trying to memorise her.

Lily worried her lip, trying to make a decision. She knew there was a possibility that he could read into it incorrectly, but she hoped he wouldn't. They had been friends for so many years…

With that in mind, she surprised him by enveloping him in a tight hug. At first, Snape tensed against her, but then he hugged her back, a bit clumsily on Lily's opinion, not that it mattered.

What Lily didn't see, was how his friend's black eyes were scanning the room around them over her shoulder, and finally locking into a pair of hazel ones further away. She didn't notice the way Snape tilted his head slightly closer to her, his lips curving into a triumphant smirk while he held her boyfriend's surprised gaze.

Then the moment was over. Lily gave Snape a one last kind smile and promised to owl him, before disappearing between the shelves to find her friends.

* * *

Snape knew he shouldn't have done that. But he couldn't help it. James had been the thorn on his side since their first year, since Hogwarts Express. He deserved someone to put him down a notch.

Unfortunately for him, James would retaliate.

"Hey, Snivellus!" James shouted behind Snape, as he followed him to the dungeons after dinner.

Snape turned calmly to face him, and a second later James's fist crunched against his nose.

"Fuck!" Snape spat, stumbling backwards from the hit and holding his nose which had started to bleed.

James pulled his wand from his pocket and took a couple of steps closer, pushing the tip of his wand against Snape's neck. "What the hell was that? What are you playing at?" James hissed furiously.

"You're the one who decided to make a scene here, so you tell me!" Snape bit back to him.

James's nostrils flared. "What are you doing with Lily? Why are you messing with her?" He demanded angrily.

Snape had his own wand digging into James's ribs in no time, and they both glared at each other maliciously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Snape hissed back to James.

"What's going on?" Regulus asked calmly as he approached the pair, eyeing the two warily.

"Nothing to you, Black. So go away," James growled, keeping his eyes locked with Snape's.

"He's right. I can handle it." Snape said through gritted teeth.

"Not bloody likely, if I can do something about it," Sirius voiced from the hallway, sneering at Snape.

"Sirius." Regulus merely said, giving a cautious look at his brother.

"Reggie." Sirius replied, glancing back quickly, before returning his attention to Snape and James, holding his wand at the ready.

Snape sneered at James. "I guess you don't have it in you, Potter," He taunted. "Always counting on your pathetic little friends to do the heavy lifting."

James clenched his jaw and exclaimed _"Flipendo!",_ sending his opponent hurling away, landing hard on his back. Snape didn't waste a minute and yelled _"Diffindo!",_ cutting a deep gash on James's cheek, sending blood trickling down on his jaw and collar.

"You fucking Death Eater!" Sirius growled and lifted his wand, a curse on his lips, but was cut off by his brother, who quickly cast a non-verbal _Langlock_ at him before he had the chance to attack Snape.

Sirius lunged furiously towards Regulus and rammed his fist into him, shoving him against the wall, sending both of their wands scattering onto the floor from the impact.

"Fuck, will you stop it!" Regulus exclaimed, dodging his brother's fists before throwing a punch of his own at Sirius's nose and breaking it with a sickening crunch.

Sirius groaned and took a step back, and was about to charge again when they heard Lily's scream echoing in the hallway.

"What in the name of Merlin is happening in here?!" Lily shrieked as she ran towards the group along the hallway. James and Snape were facing each other, wands at the ready, while Sirius and Regulus were both breathing heavily, facing each other without wands.

James faltered as he saw his girlfriend approaching, and when Lily saw his face and neck, which was smeared with blood, she gasped. "James, what's going on?" She exclaimed, trying to understand the scene around her.

Hermione had come with Lily to the dungeons, and she too was trying to figure out what the hell had happened. She took in the boys bleeding faces and dishevelled exteriors.

"Nothing, Lily…Just nothing." James grumbled bitterly and with a final glare towards Snape, he left the dungeons. Lily stood there, gaping at his back as he walked away.

Hermione had approached Sirius and Regulus, who were standing next to each other, watching the others.

"Sirius? Your nose is bleeding," Hermione muttered. Sirius turned to her, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

Hermione flicked her wand at his face. " _Episkey,_ " she said, fixing his nose.

Sirius picked up the two wands from the floor and cast a nonverbal _finite_ at himself. "Thanks," he muttered to Hermione.

"Sorry about that," Regulus muttered, looking at Sirius, his eyes lingering at the now fixed nose and the trail of blood that still decorated his brother's lips and chin.

Sirius merely shrugged stiffly and handed him his wand back.

"Reg…?" Hermione said quietly. Regulus didn't acknowledge her, and only stared at his brother. Hermione frowned at him.

"You should go." Regulus said with a blank look, glancing at the hallway. Several Slytherins were now watching the scene along the hallway.

Hermione sighed. They were getting an audience and she knew it was best for them to leave before anyone started to ask questions, but she was glued into place, trying to get some sort of contact with Regulus. Trying to make him look at her. But he didn't.

"Come on," Sirius muttered to Hermione, and went to get Lily, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, watching Snape with disappointment in her eyes.

* * *

Sirius, Hermione and Lily all walked straight into the boys' dormitory, opting to skip Astronomy. James was sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his knees and his hands behind his neck while Remus and Peter were standing not far from him, trying to make sense of what had happened.

"Prongs?" Sirius asked as they walked inside. "Mate?"

"Padfoot? What the hell happened?" Remus asked in confusion, his brows furrowed as he took in Sirius's bloody face and his rumpled robes. Hermione and Lily stood behind Sirius, eyeing the situation uneasily.

"We ran into Snape. And my brother." Sirius grumbled. "Prongs and Snape exchanged pleasantries while I got decked by my dear brother." He said, clenching his jaw.

Remus's gaze flickered to Hermione, trying to have some sort of confirmation. Hermione shrugged helplessly.

James looked at his friends. "Just so you know, I've wanted to pop him since first year." He grunted, wincing a bit when he spoke, the gash on his face seemingly stinging from the movement.

"Can I talk to my girlfriend for a moment?" James said quietly, glancing at his friends with a grim look.

"Yeah, sure, mate." Remus said and patted him on the shoulder. Peter nodded to him and left after Remus. Hermione and Sirius eventually followed them, and left Lily and James in the dorm.

"Should you go to the hospital wing?" Peter asked from Sirius, eyeing his face and cringing a bit.

Sirius shook his head. "Hermione fixed me up…" He muttered.

"So…Regulus?" Remus asked from Sirius, glancing briefly at Hermione.

"Yeah. I'd very much like to know what mother dearest would think if she'd know that her golden boy has already been in _two_ muggle brawls this year." Sirius said with a dry chuckle.

Remus and Peter gave their friend amused looks, while Hermione pressed her lips together. She felt agitated because of the incident, and how Regulus had acted. She excused herself and went to her dorm to inform the girls about the situation and wait for Lily to arrive.

* * *

 **May 19th 1978 (Friday)**

Hermione had sent Regulus a couple of messages the previous night, but he hadn't replied to her. On Friday, it was their last day of classes. The fifth and the seventh-year students would then have a two-week period without classes, to be used for revising for their OWLs and NEWTs.

The previous night Lily had come to their dorm a bit shaken, but otherwise okay. Apparently, she had had an argument with James, but she hadn't told the girls anything else about it. She had only said that she was glad the school would end soon. The girls of course knew it had something to do with Snape.

Hermione's last potions class was…tense. Snape didn't look at her or speak to her for the entire time, and only nodded when she suggested something. They eventually gave Slughorn a sample of their Polyjuice Potion, which was the perfect thick dark mud. Slughorn gave them high praises and twenty points for each house for their exceptionally talented brewing skills.

After her last class, Transfiguration, where they practiced advanced conjuring spells and human transformation, Hermione walked to the Room of Requirement. She hoped to see Regulus there, and talk to him, to talk about last night's happenings in the dungeons.

"Reg?" She called in the Grimmauld Place library.

Regulus walked from his bedroom to sit on the couch in the library seating area. She knew something was wrong the minute she saw him.

"Hey." He said, eyeing her with an unreadable expression.

"Is everything okay?" She asked as she moved closer, and sat down on the couch next to him.

"No." he said, staring ahead blankly.

"Talk to me, okay?" Hermione said quietly, worrying her lip. She took his hand and brushed her thumb against his skin.

Regulus sighed, licking his lips. "We can't do this anymore." He said quietly, looking down.

"W-What?" She whispered, staring at him in shock. She let go of his hand.

He turned to look at her, regret shining in his eyes. "I'm sorry, love," he said, his gaze flickering to her lips and back to her eyes again.

She tried to swallow a lump from her throat. "Why? Has something happened?" Hermione asked with a strangled voice. _This couldn't be happening…_

Regulus grit his teeth together when he saw her eyes watering, and one tear escaping from the corner of her eye.

"Hermione…I'm a Death Eater. Or I will be soon." He said dejectedly. "You heard what Sirius called Snape. It's too dangerous." He said quietly. He watched her closely, a miserable look in his eyes.

Hermione bit her lip in order to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks, but it didn't help. He frowned and looked away briefly. Hermione let out a soundless sob, and his eyes were glued to her again.

"Don't cry." He said softly, his beautiful grey eyes now filled with agony. He swallowed deeply, his throat bobbing. "We both knew this wasn't going to last. That we'd have to end it on some point." He said, gently wiping away her tears. Her whole body shook from his touch.

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew he was right. They had talked about it, back in January. They had talked about this. About the fact that he was going to be a Death Eater, and there was no room for a secret relationship with an Order member after that. But still it felt like she was going to break apart. Like her heart was going to shatter into pieces.

"Reg…" She whispered, choking back a sob. The tears were burning her eyes, blurring her vision, but she could see his eyes too were shining with unshed tears.

"I love you, Hermione." He whispered.

Hermione broke down in tears. She hid her face behind her hands, drawing her knees up close to her. She gasped for breath between her sobs.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm so sorry…" He whispered next to her, gathered her into his arms and held her close. She let him. She let him stroke her back, kiss her face and whisper words of comfort into her ear.

He carried her to his bed, where they lay together, curled against each other. Hermione said nothing, only clung to him while he soothed her, and finally fell asleep.

In the morning, he was gone.

* * *

 **A/N: *Hides somewhere***


	32. The NEWTs

**A/N:** Hi folks! I'm thrilled to have received so may reviews! And, well...sorry for breaking so many hearts :'(

Our story continues, and some questions are going to be answered in this chapter. Let me know what you thought of it!

* * *

 **Chapter 32: The NEWTs**

 **May 27th 1978 (Saturday)**

On Saturday morning, Hermione sat with her housemates in the Great Hall. Even though everyone was bursting with anxiety and excitement, she wasn't feeling the thrill of the last Quidditch game of the year.

James had kept their team busy during the past week, and Hermione hadn't really seen the boys without their Quidditch gear on, and when she had, they'd been in the common room, their noses buried in books. She was glad they weren't forgetting their education, even though they were training continuously.

"Hey, you okay?" Sirius murmured beside her, giving her a slight nudge.

Hermione had been pushing the omelette on her plate, not really having the stomach to eat it. It had been like that ever since last week…

 _She arrived to dinner on Saturday evening, having spent the entire day in the Room of Requirement, walking around Regulus's bedroom, examining his personal items, photographs and various newspaper clippings as well as wandering around in the large Grimmauld Place library, her hands skimming along the spines of the endless rows of books. She'd lain in his bed, breathing in his scent, trying to memorise it, trying to remember how he'd looked like the last time she had woken up in his arms._

 _As she sat down between Sirius and Mary, to her usual place in the Great Hall, everyone stared at her with careful looks. She sighed inwardly. Lily had informed their group that Hermione had some personal issues, and was joining them to dinner that night. Or so Lily had told her she would say, as they'd exchanged messages through their galleons earlier that day. But she reckoned everyone knew what it was really about. She had been crying, and even though she had tried to glamour her appearance, she hadn't managed to conceal her red nose and blotchy cheeks._

 _Sirius eyed Hermione with a slight frown as he took in her downcast eyes, the way she pushed the roast chicken and mashed potatoes on her plate, not eating anything. He glanced at the Slytherin table, and saw his brother looking at the table with an empty look in his eyes._

 _"I'm sorry, Hermione." Sirius said quietly, as the others started to chat around them._

 _Hermione gave him a tight smile, not looking up from the table._

After that, she had focused solely on her NEWTs, revising for the exams several hours every morning, and practicing every afternoon for the practical ones. At mealtimes she occasionally ate, and other times she couldn't, when she knew Regulus was sitting there in the Great Hall. She never looked, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She muttered, giving a quick smile to Sirius.

"Can you do something for me?" Sirius asked quietly.

Hermione turned to look at him with her brows lifted. "Hmm? What is it?" She asked, trying to shrug away the thoughts of Regulus from her mind. It turned out to be much harder than she thought because when she looked at Sirius, she found a familiar pair of piercing grey eyes watching her closely.

Sirius gave her a secretive smile. "Have tomorrow off from studying, yeah? I'll have to show you something…"

Hermione frowned. "Well…The whole day?" She asked warily.

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, the whole day. Don't worry, I can quiz you," He winked.

"I dunno…" She said hesitantly.

"Please? It's important to me," He said and gave her a sincere smile.

Hermione sighed. "Okay. Even though you haven't even told me what we would be doing…?" She said with an arched brow.

He smirked. "You'll see."

* * *

After breakfast, everyone headed towards the Quidditch pitch. The Gryffindor team had left before the rest of the students with a tense looking James leading them out of the Great Hall.

Lily had merely kissed him on the cheek for luck, knowing that she ought not to say anything to him to distract him. Gryffindor had to score at least one hundred and sixty points, in order to win the Quidditch Cup. The Ravenclaw team, that was playing against them, had to secure at least four hundred and twenty points to win the Cup. Otherwise it would be Slytherin to win the Quidditch cup this year. And it was certain that James wasn't going to let that happen, especially on his last year.

The sun was shining brightly, and it was a very warm day. Hermione found at least one positive thing from attending the match – they were sitting so high up, that the wind was blowing a bit, making it much more comfortable.

"Did you already read the book on Cross-Species Transfiguration and Human Transfiguration?" Remus asked as he sat down on the bench next to Hermione.

Lily, Alice, Peter and Mary were situated on the first row, with Hermione and Remus behind them. Hermione could see Lily sitting with her back tense in anticipation, as the Gryffindor team flew to the pitch, followed by the Ravenclaw team. The players were circling the pitch as the Quidditch commentator Jackson Abbott started introducing the players and recounting the league points before everyone took their positions on the pitch.

Hermione turned to Remus. "Yes, actually I did. I think it might be helpful for the NEWTs practical, so…would you like to borrow it?" She asked kindly.

It was a book she'd bought from Tomes and Scrolls last time she had been at the village, and even though McGonagall had insisted that they would find all the necessary information from their schoolbooks and the practices they had done in their Transfiguration lessons, Hermione still wanted to understand the process of Cross-Species and Human Transfiguration more thoroughly.

"Yeah, I would." He said and Mary then turned around and shushed them both.

"The game's beginning. Zip it!" She said with a scolding voice and turned her focus back to the pitch. Hermione and Remus glanced at each other, both suppressing their grins. They all knew Mary was something of a Quidditch fanatic.

"Aaand the game starts with Gryffindor in possession – Potter with the Quaffle, speeding towards the Ravenclaw goalposts – narrowly avoiding a Bludger, sent by Ravenclaw Beater Higgs. Potter passes to Marshall – passes back to Potter – who SCORES!" Abbot exclaimed through the magical megaphone. "That, ladies and gents, has to be the fastest goal yet seen on this pitch!"

Hermione chuckled as she saw her roommates cheering wildly and singing for their team.

 _"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite – "_

 _"Ravenclaws are terrified and just shite!"_

"Ravenclaw grabs the Quaffle – McAdams holding on to it as he makes an impressive dodge when Gryffindor beaters use a Dopplebeater Defence!" Abbott exlaimed. "And to all those who are not so familiar with the Quidditch tactics, it means both Beaters striking a Bludger at the same time, to double the force behind a swing." Abbott explained.

"Gryffindor snatches the Quaffle from Ravenclaw Chaser Jones. Marshall in possession again. Marshall makes a reverse pass to Potter who passes to Williams – GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN!"

Gryffindor fans screamed loudly, singing their song again. Gryffindor was clearly having the upper hand in the game, and proceeded to score several goals, making the game ninety against zero for Gryffindor.

"Gryffindor Chaser Marshall takes a hit from a Bludger but that doesn't slow her down! She's speeding towards the Ravenclaw goal posts with the Quaffle," Abbott exclaimed with anticipation in his voice. "Potter and Williams flying aside her in a triangle shape, and that, my friends, is a perfect Hawkshead Attacking Formation! Aaand GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" Abbott exclaimed. "The game is now one hundred to zero! Gryffindor is on fire today!" He yelled over the singing and cheering.

 _"To them the Snitch is out of sight."_

 _"And the Quaffle won't go in even a slight."_

 _"We're the ones who gonna party tonight."_

Hermione couldn't help but sing and cheer with her friends, as the excitement was contagious. When James scored again, Remus turned to Hermione.

"Hey, could we go to see a couple of apartments in London next week?" He asked, glancing at the game occasionally.

"Oh! Yes, of course! Sorry Remus, I've almost forgotten that we have to actually find the place where we want to move in," she said with an apologetic smile.

Remus laughed. "No worries. I mean, I would've forgotten about it as well if Lily hadn't asked me about my living arrangements the other day…" he said with a shrug.

"Well, I'd like to go." Hermione said, and then frowned. "Do you have some places in mind already? Are we going to take a look at muggle properties or some wizarding ones?"

Remus shrugged. "I think muggle. The wizarding homes tend to be a bit…bigger."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Muggle is fine. Perhaps we could try to make an appointment with a real-estate agent, to see if someone has time next week?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," He said, and their conversation was cut by a loud cheering by the Gryffindor fans, as their team had yet again scored.

"The game is now one hundred and sixty against twenty, for Gryffindor!" The commentator spoke, while Gryffindor supporters screamed with joy. "Gryffindor team has now gained enough points to win the Quidditch cup, if Ravenclaw don't up their game and score some goals!" Abbott spoke.

Hermione and her friends cheered wildly. The game hadn't ended yet, but they now had a very good chance to win the Cup, as Ravenclaw would've had to make several goals if they were aiming to win.

Then the Snitch made its appearance.

"Gryffindor Seeker Anna Alderton and Ravenclaw Seeker Sam Middleton have spotted the Snitch! How will the game end? Nevertheless, Gryffindor will win the Quidditch Cup if either of them catches the Snitch now!" Abbott exclaimed, and every single student and teacher had stood up, staring breathlessly as the two Seekers soared towards the small golden ball.

"Aaand RAVENCLAW SEEKER CATCHES THE SNITCH! RAVENCLAW WINS THIS MATCH, BUT GRYFFINDOR WINS THE QUIDDITCH CUP!" The commentator yelled, and every Gryffindor supporter was standing, screaming, and running towards the pitch.

Hermione followed her friends and joined them on the pitch, where the Gryffindor team members had landed and were now jumping against each other, in a large group hug, roaring with happiness, cheering with joy, some of them even shedding a few tears.

Lily flung herself at James and snogged him thoroughly there, in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, not caring one bit if someone would have found it indecent. Hermione smiled at the pair, who stared at each other with so much happiness in their eyes, that it was a bit overwhelming.

* * *

 _"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite"_

 _"Ravenclaws are terrified and just shite"_

 _"To them the Snitch is out of sight."_

 _"And the Quaffle won't go in even a slight."_

 _"We're the ones who gonna party tonight."_

The Gryffindors sang loudly as they headed towards the castle, occasionally whooping and laughing as they walked towards their common room. James had announced that they would have a party that night in the Gryffindor Tower and everyone was invited. Hermione wondered how in the name of Merlin was he going to fit everyone in there, but reckoned that perhaps they'd just expand the room.

* * *

The seventh year Gryffindor girls went to get ready for the party later that afternoon. Everyone wanted to put their best on, since it was their last party in their common room. It was the last time they would get ready together in their dormitory before graduation.

Hermione had opted to borrow a dress from Mary. It was a high neck lace dress in red colour, with a couple of frill layers on the hem. It was far too revealing for her taste, as the hem came only to her mid-thigh. She put on only a light makeup and Alice charmed her hair straight again, pulling it into a low ponytail.

Alice too was wearing a close-fitting red dress with long flare sleeves and high neck. She had a dark, smoky-eye makeup and dark red lips. It was a somewhat daring look for her, as she usually didn't even use makeup. Mary had on a black leather skirt paired with a red, high-neck sleeveless blouse and had curled her dark brown hair into soft ringlets and pinned them up. Lily was wearing an emerald green tassel dress, the colour matching her eyes, which she had accentuated with heavy eyeliner.

When they were ready, the girls joined the others downstairs. The Marauders had indeed expanded the Gryffindor common room, and the large room in red and gold colours had now several new seating areas scattered here and there, a couple of new study nooks between bookshelves, some comfortable armchairs with side tables, a large buffet table, and of course, a proper bar. Many of the seats were taken, and some of the partiers sat on pillows on the floor.

The Marauders had of course reserved the seats in front of the fire, and sat there with the rest of the Quidditch team members. As the girls neared them, James pulled Lily to sit on his lap, while Mary and Alice sat next to him on the couch. Hermione went to the bar to get them drinks. As she grabbed four bottles of Butterbeer, she viewed the room again. She only now noticed that in one corner of the room, partly hidden with a makeshift wall, was a dance floor, where a few Hufflepuff girls were dancing. She smiled to herself as she inspected the room, all its decorations; balloons, disco balls, flags and what not. The buffet table was full of wizarding treats, and the bar was filled with Butterbeers and Firewhiskey.

Hermione was impressed. It must've been a strenuous job to charm and organise all that, and to acquire the foods and drinks. The boys definitely knew how to throw their parties.

She was still smiling as she sat down on another couch next to Peter. Remus was sitting in an armchair to her opposite.

"What's with the look, kitten?" Sirius asked as he plopped next to her on the couch.

Hermione arched a brow at him and shrugged. "Well, I'm just…impressed. By all of this," She said, gesturing to the room.

"Hear that, guys?" Sirius exclaimed to James, Remus and Peter. "Finally, recognition from the great Dumbledore herself!" He said with laughter in his voice.

The Marauders and few others laughed. Hermione punched Sirius on the arm. "Sod off," She grumbled, making him laugh harder.

"So, Remus tells me you two are moving in together…" Sirius said after a moment, eyeing Hermione with a teasing smirk. Every pair of eyes around them whipped to their direction.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, we are. As _roommates_." She said pointedly, scowling at Sirius, who grinned mischievously. He obviously knew about the details, but merely wanted to tease her and shock the others.

"I mean, we're both poor and would otherwise have to stay with our parents." Hermione explained, mainly to the girls as she hadn't yet had the time to tell them about it. Truth to be told, she had forgotten about it, as her thoughts had been mulling over her breakup with Regulus.

"That's great," Lily said, beaming at the soon-to-be roommates.

Alice nodded in agreement, smiling at them kindly, while Mary forced a smile and looked away. Hermione frowned a bit. In the midst of her own heartbreak, she had forgotten that Mary was probably still hurt because of her past relationship with Remus.

Mary hadn't really talked about their breakup with the girls. She hadn't actually shown her feelings regarding Remus around the others, and instead she had merely kept a distance and ignored him. But now Hermione could see that she still cared for him, had feelings for him, and based on the subtle glances Remus gave to Mary when she wasn't looking, the feelings seemed mutual.

Hermione sighed inwardly at the complexity of their situation, and briefly wondered if there was something that she could do to make things better.

Later on, the dance floor was packed with dancers gyrating to the disco beat, and James insisted that every one of their group had to dance, and so all the seventh year Gryffindors soon found themselves on the dance floor dancing with each other.

A moment later, someone switched to a slow song, and Hermione stood awkwardly next to Peter and Sirius as others paired up around them. Peter cleared his throat and muttered something about a Butterbeer. Hermione was about to turn and leave the dance floor when Sirius grabbed her hand.

"Hey…dance with me, okay?" He asked with a sincere smile.

Hermione worried her lip.

"It's not polite to keep one waiting," Sirius said and gave her a wink.

With a huff, she took his outstretched hand, and just when he was about to pull her closer, they heard James's voice booming over the music.

"I'll have the prettiest girl in the whole school in my arms!" He exclaimed with a huge grin.

Hermione could see that Lily was eyeing him with a mix of embarrassment and adornment, but the expression was quickly wiped from her face as James walked away from her.

"What – " Hermione started as James approached them and dragged Sirius away.

"Apologies, Hermione." James said with a wink and pulled Sirius into a tight embrace, swaying in the rhythm of the slow song. Sirius burst in laughter and danced with his mate. Everyone near them whooped and cheered as they watched the pair and Lily, who shook her head in exasperation.

Hermione snorted and went to sit down on the couches with Peter and Remus. She had been a bit down during the past week, so the party was exactly what she needed. She needed her friends; she needed their support and their company. She needed their comfort.

The seventh year Gryffindors stayed up until the sun was beginning to rise, and as they were the only ones awake, they went to the balcony to watch the beautiful morning. It was bittersweet, the feeling that these were the last times they would watch the sunrise together from the Gryffindor Tower, their last moments when they would be mere students, and not yet shouldering the responsibilities of adulthood that came after leaving the school.

* * *

 **May 28th 1978 (Sunday)**

Hermione had agreed to spend time with Sirius after lunch the next day, and as they sat down in the Great Hall, she gave him a scrutinising look.

"What?" Sirius asked with an amused expression as he loaded steak-and-kidney pie onto his plate.

"You're really not going to tell me where we are going?" Hermione huffed as she handed her plate to Sirius's outstretched hand. He put a heavy portion of pie onto her plate.

"Nope." He said and smirked as he began to eat.

After lunch, Hermione followed Sirius out to the grounds, towards the path that lead to the village.

"Sirius? We're not exactly supposed to leave the school grounds? What if someone sees us?" She hissed as she tried to keep up with him.

He waved his hand. "Pfft. You have Dumbledore's permit and it's not like it matters anymore? I mean, the school's almost over," He said indifferently.

Hermione pursed her lips but said nothing as they continued their walk towards Hogsmeade.

"So, um…You and Reggie?" Sirius asked after a while, glancing at her quickly.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. Sirius hummed in understanding.

"You want me to kick his arse?" He asked lightly, his lips curving a bit.

Hermione let out a small huff. She wished it could've been the solution, one that made her feel better, but she knew it wouldn't. "No. Thank you, Sirius." She said and smiled weakly at him.

They had reached the main road, but Sirius was walking away from the shops and buildings, towards the battered house up on the hill. The Shrieking Shack.

"Sirius…We're, uh…Not going to…You know." She stammered awkwardly, as she walked beside him and eyed him cautiously. She remembered the last time she had been there. With him. When she'd dated him…

Sirius barked a laugh, knowing what she'd meant. "As much as I'd like a recurrence of that particular occasion, kitten, that's not what we're going to do today." He said, chuckling still.

"Oh?" She said, slightly relieved. "So…what is it?"

He smirked at her. "Aren't you impatient," He merely said.

Soon they were standing outside the decaying, abandoned house.

"Wait here." Sirius said and disappeared around the corner of the house. Hermione huffed but stayed behind, glancing around her to make sure no one was following them.

Then she heard a roar of engine. _What?_

She stared at the motorcycle, which didn't look at all like the one she had given him last year. The one Ab had had in his shed, the ramshackle bike she had doubted would even start.

Now she was facing a brand-new looking bike, with shiny chrome parts and black leather saddle bags. Sirius was steering the motorcycle towards her, stopping next to her.

"What do you think?" He asked and sniggered when she merely gaped at him and the bike.

"You fixed it?" She asked in bewilderment.

He grinned. "Yeah, that was the plan. And look, I got something for you," He said and pulled a helmet from the saddle bag, handing it to her.

Hermione's eyes widened with dread. "Oh, no…"

"Oh, yes," He grinned mischievously.

She worried her lip for a moment. "On one condition. You pull over as soon as I say so, okay?" She asked, giving him a strict look.

"Sure," Sirius said with a shrug, stood up from the bike and came to stand in front of her. "Now, let's put this on, shall we," He murmured and gently pulled the helmet on, smoothing her hair off from her cheeks.

He then sat on the bike again, pulling his own helmet on and watched her expectantly. "Hop on."

She took a steadying breath and situated herself against his back, gripping his shoulders for support.

"That won't do. Put your arms around me. Otherwise you'll fall the minute we take off." He said simply.

Hermione blanched. "Take off?! As in flying?!" She shrieked. She of course knew Sirius had had a flying motorcycle, but she hadn't realised he had managed to fix that feature as well.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Don't go spare on me, kitten. You'll be fine. Trust me," he said and started to drive down the street slowly, gaining speed. Hermione immediately flung her arms tightly around him, making him chuckle. They made about five blocks until the front tire lifted towards the sky, with the rest of the bike following.

Hermione squealed under her breath, her nails digging into the front of Sirius's leather jacket while she pressed her eyes tightly shut.

"Relax, Hermione," He exclaimed to her as they ascended up towards the clouds.

When they weren't rising anymore, and instead soared through the air steadily, she dared to open her eyes.

"Wow…" She whispered.

It was amazing. The green sea of trees, the small dots of people down in the village, and Hogwarts in the horizon, the sun glimmering on the surface of the Great Lake. They weren't going towards the castle though. Where they were heading, she saw only thick woodlands, glittering lakes, hills and towering mountains. It was so beautiful, that it took her breath away. She could only stare at the magnificent nature and hold on tight to Sirius.

Soon he started to steer the bike downwards, towards a lake, smaller than the Great Lake near Hogwarts. This one was nestled in a forest, surrounded by trees, next to a mountain. They landed on a beach area, near the treeline in case there were muggles wandering around. But no one was there. They got off the bike and started to walk slowly along the beach.

"It's beautiful…" Hermione said softly, glancing at Sirius. "Thank you."

He lifted his brows. "For what?"

"For bringing me here," she said with a smile.

He nodded. They didn't speak much as they moved forward, and after a while, Hermione sat down on the beach, facing the green lake and the high mountains behind it.

Sirius settled next to her, throwing an arm around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and they simply enjoyed the view in silence.

* * *

 **May 31st 1978 (Wednesday)**

On Wednesday, Hermione and Remus left to London after having breakfast in the Great Hall. They met with their real estate agent, Mr. Miller, who led them to the first apartment, in Richmond, near the Richmond Park. When Hermione had made the appointment with him, she had explained that they both were students, but had part-time jobs, and also received financial support from their parents. Which was the truth, actually. Remus's parents had told their son that they would help him financially – although not covering his whole living, so he still had to find a job. And Ab had insisted that he would pay Hermione's share of the rent, so she needn't stress whether her apprenticeship and the occasional shifts at Hog's Head would make enough money to cover the expenses.

Mr. Miller showed them a two-bedroom flat in the top floor of a small building. The place had a spacious lounge, and recently renovated kitchen and bathroom. The two bedrooms were quite small but that wasn't a problem for them. The floor was laminated wood, and the décor altogether was neutral. All in all, it was a small flat, but seemed nice enough. They still wanted to see the other two their agent had suggested for them to see.

The real-estate agent took them to the next location, to Wandsworth, only a short trip from Richmond. The place was a purpose-built, Victorian style ground floor flat that had been completely refurbished. The two bedrooms were larger than in the first apartment, and the place had a small paved private garden attached. The rent was a bit more than in the first flat, but in their range still. As they walked on the wooden floors, Mr. Miller explained that the flat was located close to the tube, a shopping centre and a couple of restaurants.

The last place was situated in Dulwich Village, a small, two-storey Edwardian house, near the Dulwich Park. The bedrooms and a bathroom suite were situated on the second floor, while the lounge, kitchen and a small bathroom were situated on the first floor.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked as they walked down the stairs to the ground floor.

Remus smiled at her. "I think this one's the best of them."

Hermione chuckled. "You said that about the second one, too," she said pointedly.

Remus smirked. "Yeah, but I can actually see us living in here, you know. And, well, we'd have a _house_ instead of a flat." He said, grinning at her enthusiastically.

It was the most expensive of the three, but they could still afford it, since it was in average condition, and a bit further from the centre than the other two.

She sighed. "Me too. Can picture us living here, I mean…" Hermione said as she eyed the place. They could easily use some magic around the place, to improve the state.

"So, will we continue searching?" Mr. Miller asked as they walked to the lounge, where he was waiting.

"No. We'll take it." Remus said and shared a grin with Hermione.

* * *

 **June 5th 1978 (Monday)**

The rest of the week had gone while reading and practicing, and the seventh years only had breaks when they'd attended meals in the Great Hall. Everyone was focused, aiming to succeed in their NEWTs. Even the Marauders had stopped with the joking and pranking, and were all focused in revision.

On Monday, the first NEWT exam was upon them – Charms theory in the morning, followed by Charms practical exam after lunch. Hermione and her friends were sitting anxiously around the breakfast table, no one really eating or talking with each other. Alice and Lily were browsing through their Charms textbooks, while Mary quizzed Hermione about the main points of their course material. The boys were going through the material as well.

When the breakfast ended, and the rest of the students left for their classes, all the fifth- and seventh-year students stayed behind in the Entrance Hall, waiting to be called back into the Great Hall, where their tests would take place. Then, half past nine, they re-entered the Great Hall, class by class. The space had been rearranged; the four house tables were now gone, and were replaced with several tables for one, all facing the staff-table, where Professor Slughorn stood facing them. Everyone took their seats and Slughorn gave them permission to start, by turning over an enormous hour-glass on the desk beside him, on which there were also spare quills, ink bottles and rolls of parchment.

After the test, which Hermione reckoned went quite well, the fifth and seventh years ate lunch with the rest of the school in the Great Hall, where the four house tables had reappeared again. After lunch, it was time for the practical exam.

"I'm so nervous right now…" Lily said anxiously as they waited for the practical exam to start. The fifth and seventh years were waiting in a chamber next to the Great Hall. All the fifth years were to take their practical exams first, followed by the seventh years.

"You're going to be fine, Evans." Sirius said with a smirk. "I mean, you're the best in Charms in our year."

Lily arched a brow at him. "Oh, finally recognising that I'm better than you, Black?" She asked teasingly.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, there's a first for everything…" he said, his mouth curving a bit.

Lily narrowed her eyes.

"Ignore him. You're brilliant, Lils," Hermione said with a reassuring smile.

Lily smiled back. "So are you."

They watched as Sirius and Alice were called with the second group of the seventh years. Hermione and Lily would be in the next one. Twenty minutes later, Professor Flitwick called, "Dumbledore, Hermione – Elliott, Mathilda – Ellis, Aaron – Evans, Lily."

James gave Lily a quick kiss for luck, while Mary squeezed Hermione's hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

It turned out to be much like the practical exam in their fifth year – the students were each issued to an examiner, for whom they would perform the necessary charms.

Hermione was pleased with her work a half an hour or so later. The seventh years were expected to cast an Extension charm to a luggage and then an Anti-Unlocking charm to it, making the lock in the luggage resistant to opening spells, and opening only by using a keyword. They were to use Disillusionment charm on themselves, and then reverse it. They duplicated a book with a Geminio charm after casting a Protean charm to it, and then changed the colour of the original book, making the linked copy change colour as well. And finally, they were expected to cast a sticking charm on both books, securing them to a table.

"How did you do?" Alice asked anxiously. She and Sirius had been waiting for them in the Entrance Hall.

Lily smiled brightly. "Okay, I think."

"Same." Hermione nodded.

Sirius smirked. "Same," He and Alice said in unison.

They decided to head to their common room, as it would take a while before the rest of their group would be free from their exams.

There was no time to relax, since they had Herbology exams the next day. Or everyone else except Sirius and James. They studied until dinner, and after a quick meal, the seventh year Gryffindors were immersed in revision again.

* * *

On Wednesday evening, most of the seventh year Gryffindors were studying in the library. They'd taken over a large seating area next to the Charms section. Hermione, Lily, Remus and Peter were all revising for their next morning's Ancient Runes exam, while Mary helped Alice to study for her Arithmancy exam, which was scheduled to Thursday evening. James had offered to help Lily, but was soon waved off as Lily insisted that he only managed to annoy her. Hermione and Remus quizzed each other, while Peter was sitting in a corner, his nose buried in the textbook. Sirius had been banned from their company from the start, after insisting to Peter that the correct answer to one rune combination was 'eating out'.

The boys and Mary had taken their Care of Magical Creatures theory and practical exams earlier that day, and as Sirius and James were having a day off the next day, they decided to have a one-on-one Quidditch match on the pitch while the others were immersed in their books.

* * *

On Friday morning, Hermione, Lily, James and Sirius had taken the Astronomy theory exam. The practical exam was scheduled on Friday night, and they had therefore decided to rest in their dorms after the theory exam, in order to be sharp and awake in the evening.

"How did you do?" Lily asked as they walked towards the common room that night, on their way back from their Astronomy practical exam, where they had been charting the Andromeda Galaxy.

Hermione shrugged and stifled a yawn. "Okay, I guess. Pretty sure I messed up the Wolf–Harrington Comet's discovery date in the theory exam though…" She replied thoughtfully.

James snorted. "Hermione…That wasn't even on the test…I mean, it was only required to _name_ three periodic comets…" he said, staring at her in disbelief.

Lily shared a knowing smile with Hermione. Hermione was glad that she finally had someone who really did _get her_ , as she reckoned Lily had done extra in her exams as well.

"How did you do?" Hermione asked Sirius as they neared the Gryffindor Tower.

Sirius yawned and shrugged. "Fuck if I know…don't really care about Astronomy…" He said with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know you were in the class only to make jokes about your name, but that doesn't mean you can't show effort in your exams…" She said, pursing her lips, eyeing him sternly.

Sirius barked a laugh. "How I love the way you express your concern for me, kitten…" He said and winked at her.

James sniggered at the pair as Hermione slapped Sirius on the arm.

* * *

 **June 15th 1978 (Thursday)**

The second week of the NEWTs was almost over. Hermione tried to comprehend that school too was almost over. She would be graduating in two days, and going to move into her new home in three days. She hadn't even had the time to think about anything else than the exams. All her time had gone with revising and practicing spells.

On Monday that week they'd taken their DADA theory and practical exams. The practical one had been a duel, and she'd partnered with Lily. They'd both done well, and their duel had gone quite smoothly, as their skills were rather compatible. Of course, there had been some hesitation on both sides, and she didn't think that they would receive an Outstanding from the practical exam. Even though she excelled in other subjects, DADA had always been a bit difficult for her, since she relied on reason and DADA required more intuition. That thought had briefly reminded her of Harry, and how he always acted based on his instincts.

On Tuesday everyone had had a day off, since no one took Divination, and on Wednesday, they had attended Transfiguration theory and practical exams. Hermione was pleased with her input on the written exam, and reckoned she had answered to all questions correctly. The practical exam had taken place after lunch, and it had been divided to four branches – Transformation, Vanishment, Conjuration and Untransfiguration.

The seventh years had been asked to conjure a litter of puppies and a bouquet of flowers and then vanish them after the examiner was satisfied with their work.

The transformation part of the exam had consisted general transfiguration – transforming an object into another, an object into an animal, as well as Human transfiguration, Switching and Trans-species transformations. The examiner had asked Hermione to transfigure the small table next to him into a chair, and then the chair into a dog. She then had been expected to perform a trans-species transformation on the dog, transfiguring it into a cat. Then the examiner had asked her to untransfigure the cat back into the original table. Hermione had succeeded without errors.

She had made a small mistake when she had been expected to change the wooden table legs into metal – she had changed them into concrete – but had then quickly fixed it and changed them into a set of metal legs. The examiner had seemed satisfied, but Hermione had felt a pang of frustration. Luckily her Human transfiguration – which had been changing her own height and facial features, and then untransfiguring them back into original – had gone perfectly. She had been exhausted when she had stumbled to their common room and straight to bed after dinner that night.

On Thursday was their last day of NEWTs, as no one had taken NEWT History of Magic course, for which the exam was scheduled on Friday. They had taken their Potions theory exam during the morning, and their group was now sitting in the Great Hall having lunch.

"I can't believe our last exam is starting in an hour!" Mary exclaimed quietly, shaking her head in disbelief.

Lily sighed. "I know…I hope I did okay in the Potions theory …I don't want to disappoint Professor Slughorn." She said with a frown.

Hermione chuckled. "I really hope you're aiming to achieve high scores for you," She said with a smirk. Lily stuck out her tongue at Hermione.

"I messed up the use of Baneberry in the theory," Peter groaned. "What was it?" He asked, eyeing Remus with a worried look.

Remus frowned. "Well, there's Baneberry potion, which is a highly toxic poison, and it can be used to ward to repel certain beings, beasts or any animate objects." He said, cringing a bit.

Peter heaved a sigh.

"Don't worry Pete, and it's not like you'll be apprenticing as a potioneer, eh?" Sirius said, giving his friend a nudge.

"Yeah…" Peter said, not really convinced.

The Potions practical, where they were expected to brew an Elixir to Induce Euphoria, as well as the Draught of Living Death, was scheduled for the afternoon. Hermione tried to follow her instincts during her potion making, but it was hard for her to let go the instructions, like she knew Snape did. Perhaps she would learn to do just that during her apprenticeship.

All in all, Hermione thought her NEWTs went quite well. Of course, they were difficult, but she had studied a lot for them, like her friends had. She briefly wondered how different it was in this era, when all the girls and boys in her year were much more studious – she didn't even feel like a swot in midst of them.

* * *

 **June 16th 1978 (Friday)**

Now that her NEWTs were over, Hermione had time to think other things as well. She hadn't met with Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Prewetts in a long time, and didn't really know the details about the mission to acquire the diadem, as the others had been planning it during the last month. They had agreed to hold a quick meeting on Sunday morning before the train would leave Hogwarts, in order to talk about obtaining the diary.

That was another thing she hadn't really had the time or the energy to think through, even though she knew she should've. Would Regulus still take her with him to the wedding? It was their one shot, and she had to be there. She hadn't really seen him during the past month, as she'd been that devoted to her final exams.

Hermione sighed as she glanced over to the Slytherin table during breakfast. Regulus was there, alone, surrounded by people but still alone. As if he'd felt her gaze on him, he turned to look at her with an unreadable expression. Hermione jerked her head towards the Entrance Hall, and he gave her a subtle nod. They'd meet in the Room of Requirement after breakfast. Hermione moved her eyes back to her own table, to her friends, who all seemed to be somewhere between exhaustion and bliss. Perhaps none of them seemed to yet fathom the idea of them graduating the next day. Her musings were cut by the Marauders arguing about something.

"Pads…You tell _anyone_ and I'm gonna shove my wand so far up your arse you're really gonna have something to choke on," James growled warningly, drawing many eyes to their conversation.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Oh reeeeally?" He said and lifted his brows a bit. "I mean, is Lily okay with it? Your _wand_ having its way?" He asked in amusement, grinning mischievously at James and Lily. Remus and Peter sniggered next to them.

James reached over the table and shoved Sirius, causing him to fall from the bench and land on his behind on the floor.

"Fucker," James muttered, resuming his breakfast. Lily shook her head incredulously but said nothing.

Sirius laughed as he stood up and sat down next to Hermione, who eyed him with an arched brow.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked, and Sirius merely waved her off.

"You'll see," he muttered, while James sent him a glare.

Hermione turned to eye the girls and they traded dubious looks. As this wasn't exactly abnormal behaviour from the boys, the girls quickly started to talk about other topics. Which were mostly how everyone had done with their NEWTs and about the graduation ceremony that would take place the next day.

* * *

Hermione waited in the Gryffindor common room replica, sitting on the couch next to the fire and chewed anxiously the sides of her fingernails. She hadn't talked with Regulus in a month. She hadn't looked at him in a month…It was too distressing. What was she going to say to him?

After a moment, Hermione stood up and was just about to leave when Regulus entered the room.

She stood stiffly in place, next to the couch, watching him closely as he approached her.

"Hey," he said simply, and her breath caught in her throat.

She swallowed hard. "Hey," Hermione managed to reply and sat back down on the couch.

Regulus sat down next to her, watching her expectantly.

She could feel the heat of his body, but not his touch. _What she would give to feel his touch again…_ Hermione cleared her throat and looked him into the eye. "I, um…I know we haven't really spoken about next week, since…um…but…"

"You're making sure I'll take you to the wedding?" He asked blankly.

Hermione sighed. "Yes."

He nodded slowly. "If that's what you want, then I'll take you." He said softly, standing up.

 _Why did he have to be so distant, so indifferent?_ Hermione thought bitterly.

"Oh. Wait!" She said, realising they'd have to meet somewhere beforehand.

He turned back to her, and she could see pain cross his eyes. She knew he was keeping his feelings from her, trying to appear disinterested. _But who was he protecting? Himself? Or her?_

"I should give you my address," She said, searching a piece of parchment and a quill from her bag.

"You're not living in the village?" He asked, frowning a bit.

Hermione blinked. "Oh, no. At least not in Hogsmeade. I'm moving in with Remus and we have a place in London. In Dulwich village." She explained. His brow twitched a bit but he didn't say anything.

When she found what she was looking for from her bag, he spoke. "You can send the address to the galleon. The wedding starts at five in the afternoon. We should meet an hour or so before." He said aloofly.

"Oh. Okay…"

"I should go." He said quietly, his eyes slowly moving up and down her body, as if he was trying to memorise her.

Perhaps he was. Then he turned and left. Hermione let out a breath she was holding in and she too left the room and went to her friends, towards the real Gryffindor Tower.

As Hermione reached the common room, it was empty of other students except the seventh year Gryffindors. Everyone was in their classes and the fifth years were probably taking their OWLs, or somewhere else in the castle.

She saw Remus coming down from the boys' dormitory, his eyes widened in shock, and a letter in his hand. She was distracted from her sullen mood as she took in his expression.

"Remus?" Hermione asked, approaching him. Sirius and Peter were in the middle of a wizards' chess game near the fire, while Lily and James were cuddling in an enlarged armchair, talking quietly to each other. Mary and Alice were browsing through wedding magazines on the couch, Alice's seating chart in front of them on the table.

"I…um…" Remus stammered, his eyes moving to look into Hermione's.

Hermione lifted her brows, eyeing him carefully.

"I got in," He said quietly, staring at her in disbelief.

Hermione's face brightened and her mouth turned to a huge grin. "Really?" She exclaimed enthusiastically, gathering everyone's attention.

He nodded, waving the letter in his hand.

Hermione shrieked and lunged at him, enveloping him to a bone-crushing hug. "Congratulations, Remus!" She said to his neck with a muffled voice. "Even though I knew you'd get in," She said and gave him a knowing look as she broke their embrace. Remus rolled his eyes at her.

"Oookay, kitten, I'm beginning to doubt your relationship as mere roommates. You sure you have your own bedroom?" Sirius asked with a teasing voice as he came to see what the fuss was all about.

Hermione gave him a withering look.

Remus let out a deep breath. "I got into Durham University, to study English," he said to Sirius, giving him a helpless shrug.

"Moony, that's great! I knew you'd get in," Sirius exclaimed enthusiastically, enveloping his friend into a bear hug. Soon everyone else followed, congratulating Remus. His friends knew how big of a deal it was for him.

Hermione couldn't help but feel delighted by the news. It now seemed that everyone in their group had their future all figured out.


	33. Their last journey

**A/N:** Hello my good readers! I'm a bit behind from the schedule – well, I would if I had a schedule. Here's the longest chapter yet (over 12k words, and dear god it was a nightmare to re-read…)! Let me know what you thought about it :)

Without further ado, happy reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Their last journey**

 **June 17th 1978 (Saturday)**

All of a sudden it was there. The day of their graduation. Even though the seventh year Gryffindors had been waiting for this day more than anything, it suddenly felt like it was too fast upon them. Were they ready for the 'real world'? Ready to leave Hogwarts? The home they'd had for the past seven years... Hermione reckoned it was as terrifying as it was exciting.

The ceremony was to begin shortly after breakfast, followed by a lunch where the graduating students' friends and families would be attending as well. Later that night the seventh years would celebrate in the Great Hall without parents and teachers – they were after all both qualified and of age, and no longer students needing chaperones.

The end-of-year feast had been held the night before, and the rest of the students were leaving Hogwarts, and towards their homes on Saturday after breakfast. The graduating students would have the entire Hogwarts Express for themselves on Sunday, when they would journey home.

Hermione and her roommates spent the morning getting ready, and after a quick breakfast in the Great Hall, the seventh year Gryffindors dashed back to their dormitories to change into their best and cleanest school robes.

"This is so surreal…" Hermione muttered to no one particular as their group descended the stairs from the Gryffindor Tower.

Sirius glanced at her. "What's so surreal about this? Didn't think you'd survive the year with us?" He asked with a teasing smile as they walked side by side, with the rest of their friends ahead of them.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Something like that," she said softly.

"Aww, kitten." Sirius said and smirked as he threw an arm around her and squeezed her against him.

As they reached the ground floor, their families were already swarming into the Entrance Hall from the open front doors of the castle. Hermione saw her friends heading towards their respective families amongst the sea of people, and spotted Ab in one corner. He was chatting with James's parents, looking rather uncomfortable in the midst of all the people, his eyes darting around the hall every now and then. Hermione smiled and made her way towards them.

"Hey," Hermione said cheerfully to Aberforth, giving him a quick hug while Mr. and Mrs. Potter greeted Sirius, who had arrived with Hermione.

"Hi there. You excited?" Ab asked with a small smirk playing on his lips.

Hermione shrugged. "A bit."

"Nothing you can't handle," He said reassuringly. "And you've met the Potters?" He grunted, gesturing at James's parents, who eyed them kindly.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, we've met," she said, nodding at them in greeting.

"And it is delightful to meet you again, Miss Dumbledore." Mrs. Potter said, eyeing Hermione attentively.

"Likewise, Mrs. Potter. And please, call me Hermione." Hermione said with a smile.

Mrs. Potter nodded. "You know, Sirius has told us a lot about you…" She said with a knowing smirk. Hermione glanced at the boy in question, her brows lifted in suspicion.

"Mum…" Sirius grumbled warningly. Mrs. Potter merely smiled at him.

James cleared his throat. "As lovely as it is to mess with Sirius, I want you to meet Lily's parents." James said, addressing his parents and dragged them away, leaving Hermione, Sirius and Aberforth behind.

"Um. Good to see you again, sir," Sirius greeted Ab, who took his outstretched hand and shook it with an expressionless face.

"You too, lad." He said gruffly.

"How's the business?" Sirius asked politely.

Ab merely shrugged, his eyes fixed on the raven-haired wizard. Hermione tried not to snort. It seemed that Ab was being deliberately difficult, and wanted to grill Sirius for some reason. But for Sirius's benefit, he remained mostly unaffected.

A moment after McGonagall called the graduating students to form a line in front of the Great Hall, facing the audience. Some of the families and friends had already stepped inside the Great Hall and taken their seats amongst the small tables that were scattered around the hall, replacing the usual four long house tables.

The Hall was decorated with all four house colours. The tablecloths were bronze with blue details and the chairs were adorned with blue lamour covers and bronze sashes. The table centrepieces were made of green flowers and the cutlery, goblets and plates were all silver. There were red and gold drapes covering the high walls of the Great Hall, and yellow and black candles placed on every table and floating over the Hall.

When everyone had taken their seats, the seventh-year students all received their certificates and praises from the Headmaster and their professors. Dumbledore gave a long and slightly ponderous speech, and finally when he was done, everyone broke into loud applause, whooping and cheering as the now graduated students walked to their families.

Hermione, Sirius and James sat with Aberforth and James's parents for the ceremonial lunch, while their friends sat with their respective families at other small tables. The food was excellent; clearly the Hogwarts' house-elves had done some of their best work, creating an exquisite six-course meal for them to enjoy.

"So, Hermione. Have you already formed plans for your future?" Mr. Potter asked as he took a sip of elf-made wine from his goblet.

Hermione chewed the piece of her smoked salmon and dabbed her mouth with a napkin before she replied. "Yes, actually. I'm starting an apprenticeship as a potioneer in a private company." She said primly.

Mr. Potter's brows shot up in curiosity. "Brilliant. I don't know if you already knew, but I am somewhat of a potioneer myself. Or at least I was when I was younger. Now it is merely a hobby of mine." He said and chuckled.

Hermione nodded. Of course she knew that James's father was an accomplished potioneer, and the developer of the Sleekeazy's Hair Potion.

"Who are you going to work with?" He asked casually.

"Invictus Viridian. Or at least, at his company." Hermione replied cordially. She glanced at Sirius and James, who were murmuring something to each other, not taking part in the conversation.

"Oh! That's something," Mrs. Potter said with an impressed look. Ab eyed Hermione with a proud look in his eyes.

"Indeed it is." Mr. Potter agreed, lifting his goblet to toast in her honour. "Congratulations, Hermione," He said with a warm smile.

Hermione felt heat rising to her face and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"Weren't you friends with his son, Ab?" Mr. Potter turned to Aberforth with a small frown between his brows. "I vaguely remember you two causing disorder when I attended Hogwarts," He chuckled.

Hermione listened to the conversation with curiosity. She knew James's parents were elderly, but she hadn't realised Mr. Potter had actually attended Hogwarts at the same time as Ab had.

Hermione turned to look at Ab, her brows lifted in amusement.

Aberforth's mouth curved a bit. "Yes, that would be correct," he muttered.

Mr. Potter laughed cheerfully while Ab chuckled, shrugging innocently at Hermione when she gave him a mildly withering look.

"And I can't believe these two mischief-makers are going to train to become Aurors," Mr. Potter said to the boys, eyeing them fondly. James flashed his father a guileless grin, which Sirius mirrored expertly. Mrs. Potter gave them a mildly exasperated look, seeing right through them.

* * *

Later that day, after saying their goodbyes to their families, Hermione and her friends were packing their belongings before they would start to get ready for their graduation party. It was a tearful event; packing their school trunks for the last time and spending some of their last moments in the familiar, warm dormitory as they reminisced the past year. How was it over already? Had it been almost a year since Hermione had come to this time? She barely remembered her old life anymore.

It was there, somewhere deep in her mind, and when she really thought about it, she could see it as clearly as what she now saw. For some time now, Hermione had been determined to search for her parents once she had left Hogwarts, and had decided that she would start after settling into her new home. She hoped that finding her parents would give her some answers, and perhaps bring her closer to something…but she wasn't sure what exactly.

"Have you talked with Snape, Lils?" Mary asked as she organised her school robes into her trunk.

Lily gave Mary a puzzled look, as did Hermione and Alice. "Why do you ask?" The redhead asked suspiciously.

Mary shrugged. "I dunno, he was just staring at you a _lot_ during the lunch…" She said, frowning slightly.

Lily sighed. "Well, yes, we've talked a bit…" She said unsurely, glancing at Hermione. "I'm, um…going to meet him during the summer." She said with a tight smile.

Alice lifted her brows but said nothing.

"Was that why you and James had that fight last month?" Mary asked carefully.

Lily blanched and was silent for a moment. "Yes," she said quietly. "James thinks that…um…Sev has…feelings for me. That he is in love with me," she said with a slight cringe. Mary and Alice shared a meaningful look.

Hermione had been listening to the conversation until this moment, but decided to speak. "And what do you think?" She asked from Lily. Hermione had suspected it herself; she'd seen how Snape looked at Lily.

Lily worried her lip. "Well…I guess I've always known," she said with a weary sigh. "I think I just thought that if I'd ignore it, he would realise I just wanted to be his friend, you know?" She said, her brows furrowed as she eyed the girls.

Hermione and Alice nodded sympathetically, while Mary shook her head.

"That's bullshit." Mary said bitterly. "I'm just sick of it how people won't tell how they really feel, you know?"

Even though Lily seemed a bit taken aback from Mary's reply, she knew they weren't talking about her anymore. Hermione sighed inwardly. She needed to talk with Remus.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alice asked hesitantly, eyeing Mary with a sad smile.

"No, not really." Mary grumbled. "By the way, have I told you how glad I am that you two don't have dates to the party tonight? I'm quite sure I would've jumped into the Great Lake with a ball and chain attached to my leg if I had been surrounded only by snogging couples." Mary said to Hermione and Alice, and smirked when Lily looked a bit affronted. "The one's enough," She winked at the redhead.

Lily huffed and shook her head with mild amusement.

* * *

"Fuck…I solemnly swear that I ate everything I could," Sirius grunted as he rolled to lie down on his bed, turning on his side to feel more comfortable.

Equal sounds of discomfort were voiced from James's, Remus's and Peter's beds. The boys had been packing their things in their dormitory, and when they had stumbled on the enormous stash of chocolate that Remus had been keeping in his drawers and trunk, they'd decided to have a sort of an…eating game.

The thought had occurred when Remus had urged everyone to eat as much as they could, since he wouldn't be able to take everything with him to Germany, where he would be going with Belby in a couple of days. The next full moon was on Tuesday, and Remus had already taken the Wolfsbane potion, supplied by Belby, every day since last Tuesday. He was leaving on Monday evening, with an international Portkey Belby had given him, and thus going to be staying only one night in his new home with Hermione.

"Don't complain, Pads. You're not the one who has to down that fucking appalling potion," Remus wheezed from his bed after drinking his dosage of the day.

James leaned up on his elbows in his bed. "You can still get sozzled tonight, right?" He asked with a hint of worry in his features.

Remus gave him a weak laugh. "Yeah, well, not as pissed as you and Pads will undoubtedly be, but Belby said a small amount of alcohol wouldn't render his potion ineffective," he muttered as he lay back down on his bed, his eyes closed.

After a short rest, the boys continued packing their belongings and started to get ready for their graduation party.

* * *

The Great Hall was decorated with the same colours and embellishments as it had been at the ceremony, but with smaller and fewer tables, as there were only less than forty of them. Lily and James had organised the party again, and the Head students held a quick speech in front of their peers, welcoming everyone to their last dinner at Hogwarts, and urging them to find a place to sit and order their foods from the menus that were placed on the tables. The Head students also encouraged everyone to mingle after dinner, as it was one of their last moments together.

Hermione, Remus, Peter and Sirius were sitting at one table, while James, Lily, Mary and Alice were situated at another. Hermione glanced at her menu and decided on crab canapés for appetizer. She voiced her order to the menu, as did the others around her, and the food appeared on her plate. Hermione vaguely remembered her fourth year, when they had attended the Yule ball, and there had been a similar arrangement with the dinner. She remembered having a great time at the ball with Viktor, and even sharing a couple of kisses with him – her first kisses for that matter – before Ron had ruined her night with his jealousy.

Hermione looked around the Hall. Mary and James were engrossed in an animated discussion about who-knows-what - probably Quidditch, as they were both fanatics - if the bored looks Lily and Alice gave them every now and then were any indication. Hermione's eyes travelled from table to table, until she saw Snape with a couple of Slytherins on a table furthest to theirs. Snape was gazing up at Lily's table, which wasn't that surprising. He then glanced at Hermione, as if he'd known she was looking at him. Snape gave her a subtle nod and looked quickly away.

"Can I have a piece?" Sirius asked her, eyeing the last piece of food on her plate, resembling slightly a dog that was begging for food.

Hermione smirked inwardly at her sense of humour and gave him an amused look. "By all means," she said, pushing her plate towards him.

Sirius winked at her as he snatched the food before the group ordered their main courses.

"So, you two gonna head straight to your new place tomorrow?" Sirius asked from Remus and Hermione, pouring elf-made wine into everyone's goblets.

"Yeah, that's the plan. I mean, I don't have much time to settle in, since I have to leave on Monday night, and I reckon we ought to go furniture shopping first thing on Monday morning, right, Hermione?" Remus said, and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"But I can take care of the furnishing if you want to unpack?" Hermione said with a warm smile.

"No, no. I can come too. I mean, you don't have to do everything by yourself, you know…" Remus said with a frown.

Hermione waved her hand. "It's no trouble. And, you know, I'll ask if Lily wants to come with me…I think she's probably free since her possible training in St Mungo's won't start until September…" Hermione said with a shrug.

Sirius turned to look at her. "What about me, kitten? I'm free." He said and lifted his brows knowingly.

Hermione huffed. "That is exactly the reason I'm _not_ taking you. You'll drive me insane before the bedroom department," she said sternly.

"Oooh…I just literally made up at least ten ways to respond to that," Sirius said with a mischievous smile. "…Nope, fourteen."

Peter and Remus sniggered while Hermione scowled at Sirius. "And if you want to stay unharmed for the rest of the night, I suggest you just keep your sass to yourself." Hermione said warningly.

Sirius laughed heartily. "You know how I love to make witches mad," He said and winked at her.

Hermione gritted her teeth and took a calming breath.

"But if you really want to be helpful, Sirius, why don't you help Remus on Monday? Help him sort out his things before he has to leave?" Hermione asked, steering the subject back to where it started. "You can come too, Peter? I can grab some food on my way back," Hermione said and gave Peter a kind smile.

"I probably can't on Monday, since I'm starting the apprenticeship and I don't know how long I am supposed to be there…But maybe some other day?" Peter asked hesitantly.

"Sure," Hermione nodded.

"I'll be there on Monday," Sirius said to Remus. "But I won't guarantee I'll stay away from your bedroom, kitten," he added to Hermione with a sly smirk.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

* * *

After dinner, everyone stood up and James and Lily moved all the tables to the sides, leaving a rather large area in the middle of the Great Hall for the dance floor. They conjured a stage for the band along one wall; a set of drums, many guitars, keyboards and other instruments were set upon it. A wizarding rock band called _Chasing Quaffles_ took the stage and started playing, instantly lifting the atmosphere.

As the night went on, Hermione tried to have a quick chat with everyone she was even mildly friendly with, which was everyone else but a handful of Slytherins. She even changed a couple of words with Snape during the evening.

"Dumbledore." Snape drawled as they met at the refreshments table, which was filled with different kinds of drinks; Butterbeers in a large cauldron filled with ice cubes, tumblers with two fingers of Firewhiskey in each, something that looked like jell-o-shots, of which Hermione decided to stay away from, as well as a variety of colourful drinks in potion vials.

"Snape." Hermione replied, taking a bottle of Butterbeer and uncorking it as Snape took a tumbler of Firewhiskey.

He sipped his drink, eyeing her thoughtfully.

"I see your friends haven't yet reached maturity," he said with dislike as he eyed the dance floor. Hermione followed his line of sight and stifled a laugh. James and Sirius were dancing some strange version of the tango on the dance floor, drawing many amused glances at their direction.

Hermione shrugged. His attempts to annoy her seemed to be quite feeble, so perhaps he was only trying to make small talk with her.

"You'll be seeing Lily during the summer?" Hermione asked indifferently as she took a sip from her Butterbeer.

Snape quickly looked around them, making sure no one had heard her. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes." He merely said.

"So…Perhaps we'll be seeing you more in the future," Hermione said vaguely, her eyes trained at the dancefloor instead of him. They both knew that if he was going to see Lily, it meant that his allegiance had shifted from one team to the other.

"Perhaps." He said quietly. "Have a nice night, Dumbledore."

With that, he returned to his friends.

Hermione's joy about her breakthrough regarding Snape was short-lived, when Alice came to drag her to the dance floor. They danced wildly for a fast song, and then the band switched into a slow one.

"May I have this dance, milady?" Remus asked with a small bow.

Hermione smiled. "Indeed, you may, good sir," Hermione curtsied, giving him a coy look.

They both chuckled as they began to sway to the music. Remus then glanced at the corner of the Hall and tensed, an uncomfortable look taking over his features.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, turning to look at the same direction. She saw Mary pressed against the wall by Mark McAdams, a seventh year Ravenclaw. They were snogging furiously, barely taking air between what seemed to be a battle of their tongues.

"Oh." Hermione said awkwardly, glancing hesitantly at Remus.

Remus sighed. "I think I'll head to the dorms…" He muttered.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, worrying her lip. It wasn't even that late yet, and everyone was still there.

"Yeah. I mean, I can't even get wasted because of the…you know, the potion, and I really can't be watching this if I'm sober…" He said bitterly, giving a dark look at Mary and Mark, who were oblivious to the others.

"How are you handling it? The potion? The trial?" Hermione asked quietly with worry edged on her face.

Remus shrugged. "Okay, I guess." When Hermione gave him a stern look, he smirked and let out a weary sigh. "I'm scared shitless. What if it won't work? Or what if it will, but then I'm only having three or so incredible months and then it's back to the wretched life I know?" He asked with an excruciating look.

Hermione swallowed hard to rid the lump that had formed in her throat. It was so unfair. He didn't deserve it. She wished she could have helped him somehow, to promise him it would get better. But she really didn't know. She didn't know how long it would take to have the potion in production and available to the public. And what would it cost? She had understood it was quite expensive.

They were both silent for a while, and when Remus stared at Mary again, Hermione spoke to him.

"You know she still has feelings for you?" She said quietly.

Remus took a sharp breath but shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it, Hermione," He muttered and looked away.

"Okay," Hermione said softly, pulling him in a tight hug before he excused himself and left the Great Hall.

Hermione went to the refreshments table to grab another Butterbeer and was stuck in a conversation with two Hufflepuff girls for a while. As the girls left, Hermione spotted Alice and Peter at a table, so she joined them. They were sniggering to something, and when Hermione saw what it was about, she almost snorted her drink through her nose.

Sirius was dancing on the dance floor with James, wearing a frilly black gown, with silver and grey details. His hair was curled and Hermione was quite certain he had some mascara on.

"Wha…I'm…he…" Hermione stuttered to her friends, not capable of formulating a sentence that would suite the situation in front of them.

Finally, Sirius and James came to sit with them, laughing merrily.

Hermione arched an incredulous brow to the boy in the beautiful dress, who had sat beside her and was sipping a Firewhiskey he had brought with him.

"See something you like, kitten?" He asked with a sweet smile, battling his eyelashes.

Hermione suppressed a snort. "Dare I even ask?" She grinned.

Sirius shrugged. "Well, I kinda lost a bet in the beginning of our seventh year…" He explained vaguely.

"And?" Hermione pressed. "What was the bet?"

He grimaced. "You don't want to know, kitten," he said vaguely, glancing around them.

They were alone in their table, as Alice had left to dance with Lily, while James and Peter had gone to get drinks.

"Has it got something to do with the bet where you staked that you'd have sex with me before September ended?" Hermione asked with a grim look on her face.

Sirius flinched. "Shit."

"Mmm." Hermione hummed in agreement.

"Look, Hermione. I…I didn't know you then. When I made the bet." He started to explain, a guilty look on his face while Hermione merely stared at him sternly.

Remus had told her long ago about it, and she wasn't really angry at Sirius, at least not anymore. She had the impression that he didn't care about the bet anymore when they had started dating.

She waved her hand. "Forget it."

"No, let me explain. It…it was the first time I met you, and you know…I was a bit of a prick then..." He said sincerely, and Hermione arched a brow.

"You know what I mean," He muttered, his lips curving into a small smirk. Hermione nodded. "But then I got to know you, and I just…had to have you. And I'm not talking about sex now…It's like, I had never seen or known anyone so perfect. I had to be near you, and I…I wanted you to accept me, to approve of me," He said, taking her hand and stroking her knuckles with his thumb. Hermione gave him a wary look before he continued. "…Because I fell in love with you," He said softly.

Hermione gaped at him, speechless, as her breath caught in her throat. She didn't even know how to respond to something like that. _What was he saying? Why would he tell her that, why now?_ Hermione shivered as she looked into his grey eyes, full of emotion. Tears burned in the backs of her eyes, and she felt angry all of a sudden.

"Hermione…" He whispered, staring at her with an intense look, waiting for her to say something.

"No. _No_. You can't say things like that to me. Or look at me like that," She said, her voice rising a bit as she tried to swallow the lump from her throat, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill. "I _begged_ you not to leave me, but you did it anyway," She hissed quietly.

Sirius sighed wearily, and she continued, "And then I got over you. I fell for someone else, Sirius." She said and frowned, giving him a disappointed look.

"I know. I'm sorry," Sirius said quietly, clenching his jaw and staring at the table with regret.

There was a tense silence. Suddenly, all Hermione wanted to do was to leave the party and retreat into her quiet dormitory.

"I have to go. I'll see you in the morning," She said eventually, stood up and walked towards the Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

 **June 18th 1978 (Sunday)**

The next morning, Hermione woke up early, in an almost empty dormitory. Only Alice was snoring softly in her bed, the gown she had worn last night still on. Hermione lay in her bed for a while, thinking back the previous night. She had come to the dormitory, alone, and stared at the canopy of her four-poster bed for several hours, her mind too full of thoughts to fall asleep. What was Sirius playing at, saying those things to her? Was he still hung up on her? Was he still in love with her? Did he want something more than a friendship from her? It certainly seemed like that when they'd spoken last night…

She sighed, shook away the thoughts of the raven-haired boy and finally stood up, headed towards the bathroom to freshen up and put her last items and belongings into her trunk after getting dressed.

Alice was still sleeping when Hermione left the dormitory, and she briefly wondered where Lily and Mary had gone for the night. Lily was probably with James and Mary with… _Mark_? …Poor Remus.

Hermione walked towards the Headmaster's office and as she entered, she was greeted by the Prewetts, McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Hermione. I hope this is not too early for you," Dumbledore said brightly.

Hermione smiled. "No, not at all."

Fabian smirked at her as she took a seat next to him. "So, you weren't one of those students who were crawling back to the Tower just now?" He said with a mischievous glint in his eye. Hermione lifted her brows. The boys had actually partied 'til the morning? _Dear. God._

"No, thankfully not." Hermione merely said with a look of reproach, and saw McGonagall eyeing her with a pleased look in her eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "We should go through the details regarding our two missions that are taking place during the next days and weeks." He started, gathering everyone's attention.

He nodded at Gideon, who started to recap what they had agreed on during the last month, when Hermione hadn't had the chance to attend their meetings.

"…And, as I said, Fabian and I will take off in the beginning of July, and stay abroad until the end of August." Gideon explained. "We should be able to destroy the diary – if you will be successful obtaining it," He glanced at Hermione, "– before we leave." He said and Hermione nodded.

"Do you have everything you need for the wedding?" Dumbledore asked from Hermione, eyeing her searchingly.

Hermione swallowed. "Yes. I think I have. I'm going to transfigure my appearance and we agreed with Regulus that I'm to be disguised as Gabrielle Demengeot, an attaché of the magical embassy in Paris, who has recently started working there and is merely seeing her distant relatives in England. I don't believe anyone will question it during the wedding, since none of the guests have connections to the embassy, at least that we know of. If someone finds out later on that there is no Gabrielle at the magical embassy, and they decide to question Regulus, he will simply say that he didn't really know me, and that we'd only met a handful of times." Hermione explained, and the others nodded with thoughtful expressions.

"We agreed that if either one of us suspects something, we will both immediately disapparate to Hogsmeade, where Ab can assist us further." She said, hoping it wouldn't come to that. "If everything goes as planned, I will arrive to Hogsmeade alone, with the diary, and we can then proceed to destroy it." She said, trying to calm her shaking nerves.

McGonagall nodded. "Perhaps I could help you with the transfigurations?" She suggested.

Hermione smiled with relief. "Yes, please. I want to be sure that no one recognises me, and there is a risk that my own skills are not sufficient enough," she said with a small smile.

McGonagall's mouth curved slightly. "As your teacher, I daresay they would be enough, but just to make sure, I think it would be best to let me do the transfigurations."

They agreed that McGonagall would meet Hermione at her place on Wednesday noon, and make the necessary changes to her appearance. They also agreed that Dumbledore, McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian would wait for her in the Hog's Head, just in case there would be some complications. From there, they would travel to Letterfearn together and destroy the diary.

Their plans sounded simple as they went through them like that. And Hermione reckoned that perhaps they were. But even so, Hermione was anxious as she stepped into the Great Hall, not being able to fully enjoy her last morning at Hogwarts, since she was stressing over what could go wrong.

She saw Remus, sitting alone at the Gryffindor table. She also spotted two Hufflepuffs and three Ravenclaws sitting at their respective tables. Everyone else was missing.

"Hey," Hermione said with a warm smile as she sat next to Remus.

Remus turned to look at her and smiled. "Good morning."

"Was Lily in your dorm last night?" Hermione asked as she took the cup of coffee Remus had poured her, thanking him with a nod.

Remus smirked. "Yeah, she was there…" he said, scratching his head a bit awkwardly.

Hermione arched a quizzical brow at him.

"Well…I…might've seen a bit…too much of her when she and James came to the dorm last night." He said with a slight cringe.

Hermione snorted. She took a piece of toast and smeared some jam on it. "And Sirius? Peter?" She asked and took a bite of her toast.

Remus chuckled. "They came in just when I was going to the shower…this morning. Actually, now that I think about it, James was with them…He must've left the dorm on some point during the night…" He said thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose they did state earlier that they would party until the morning…" Remus said and shrugged.

Hermione laughed. _Of course they did._

They were both quiet for a while, and Remus studied Hermione's features as she stared out from the large windows with a pensive look, nibbling her food absently. The sun was shining brightly, and it probably was going to be another of those warm summer days.

"You okay?" Remus asked quietly.

She sighed. "Yeah…just…Sirius." She muttered, glancing at Remus with a frown.

"Oh?" He said with an unreadable expression.

"Last night, he, um…said that he was in love with me…You know, when we dated." She said quietly, giving Remus a helpless look.

He sighed. "Well, I'm not surprised…I mean, I suspected he was. And, well…maybe he still is," he said, eyeing her carefully.

Hermione's frown deepened. "I don't know what to say…" She huffed exasperatedly.

Remus smiled. "Perhaps you don't have to say anything, at least not now. Maybe you both ought to let it sink in a bit before you have a chat?" He said wisely.

Hermione huffed. "And I'm supposed to, what? Ignore him until that?"

"No. Sirius is not daft. Though he likes to act like he is, sometimes." Remus said with a small grin tugging his lips. "He knows how to read people, better than many other people can, I might say. He'll know when you're ready to talk about it," He said simply.

Hermione heaved a sigh and nodded.

Lily, Alice and Mary finally joined them when Hermione and Remus were nearly finished with their breakfasts. As Lily sat down opposite to Remus, he greeted her cheerfully. The redhead blushed furiously, mumbled something in reply and proceeded to stare at the table in shock. _Probably reminiscing last night_ , Hermione thought and bit back a grin.

"I should go to pack. I'll see you in the common room," Remus said to the girls as he stood up and left the Great Hall.

Mary stared at his furthering back with a sad look in her eyes.

"Mary?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?" She replied absently, her thoughts clearly on something – or someone – else.

"Where were you last night?" Hermione asked carefully. "I heard about Lily's little escapade in the boys' dorm, and Allie was in ours when I woke up…" She continued, chuckling when Lily groaned and lowered her forehead to rest agiainst the table.

Alice and Mary both sniggered at their friend.

"I, um…was with Mark…" Mary muttered, wincing slightly.

Hermione wasn't surprised, and gave Mary a nod. "So…are you going to see him again?" She asked curiously.

Mary shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe." She merely said.

"What about Remus?" Lily asked, eyeing Mary with a troubled look.

Mary narrowed her eyes at her teacup. "Well, he left me, didn't he? It's not like I'm waiting for him and not living my life," She said harshly and sighed. "…Even though that's exactly what I'd want to do," She said with a wounded look.

Somehow, Hermione knew exactly how she felt.

The girls understood her, and didn't continue talking about Remus. Instead they grilled her about Mark, and what had happened between them. They wanted details, stat. He had the best arse in Hogwarts, after all.

* * *

After breakfast, the girls went to check their dorm for the final time, and then, after dragging the boys – who had been stalling for some reason – with them, the seventh year Gryffindors left the castle together. They didn't travel with the horseless carriages. The graduated students made their final journey away from Hogwarts with boats which would carry them across the Great Lake to the Hogsmeade train station. They were the same boats they had travelled by when they had first arrived at the school. Only now the boats seemed so much smaller. Hagrid advised that no more than two persons were allowed into each boat. _How in the name of Merlin had four of them fitted into one in their first year?_ Hermione thought as she stepped into a boat with Mary. Everyone was silent as they glided over the lake, savouring the images, and dwelling in the memories of everything they had experienced as they took in the last glimpses of the castle.

Finally, they arrived at the train station and stepped into the large red train, the Hogwarts Express. It was their last train ride, and for the first time, they were travelling only with their fellow seventh years. The boys took a couple of compartments, deciding to sleep a few hours after the train had left towards London.

The girls stayed in one compartment. Hermione and Lily sat on one side, their feet on the bench and their backs leaning against the walls, both engrossed in a book. Mary was curled in the corner of the opposite bench, drowsing as Alice was sitting next to her, reading a letter Frank had sent her.

The boys eventually joined the girls in their compartment. James and Remus came to sit with Hermione and Lily, while Sirius and Peter sat next to Mary and Alice. They recollected the previous night and sniggered at Sirius's gown, and how he had asked Snape's hand for a dance, amongst other things. When Alice had asked why it had taken so long for the boys to leave their dorm this morning, the Marauders eyed each other mischievously.

"Well, let's just say that Dumbledore might have some problems to accommodate his next set of seventh year Gryffindors," Sirius said with a wink.

When Lily eyed him sternly, James took her hand in a soothing manner. "It's okay, love. He'll figure it out in no time." James said with a cheerful grin.

"Figure out what, James?" Lily asked warningly.

James sniggered. "Well, we couldn't have left the school without a one last hurrah, eh?" He said, and the boys burst in laughter.

Before they had left towards the boats, the Marauders had somehow managed to seal their dormitory, and after throwing possibly one too many wards and charms on the door, they themselves weren't able to enter anymore. Luckily, they had all their belongings with them as they left the school.

Hermione was avoiding Sirius's gaze and probably vice versa, but of course, as they were sitting several hours in a rather crammed compartment, it was evident that their eyes would meet. As they did, all she could think of, were his words to her the previous night. She was torn, since even though she had gotten over him, there was still something between them. A spark. She couldn't deny that. But that didn't mean she wanted to act on it. She couldn't.

Because she was in love with his brother.

Sirius seemed to guess her line of thought as he looked away after a moment, frowning a bit before schooling his features to the carefree bachelor he was so good at pretending.

Soon everyone was discussing about the summer and their future plans. Mary was going to be working as a secretary in the Administrative Registration Department of the Ministry, starting the next day, and would be working there throughout the summer. If she and Lily were accepted to the Healer training in St Mungo's, they would both be starting there in the beginning of September.

Lily had opted to have a bit of holiday during the summer, although she reckoned that she would probably help his father occasionally at the family business. Otherwise she would focus on moving in with James, and making a home in Godric's Hollow.

James, Sirius and Alice were still waiting for their NEWT results in order to get qualifications to take the Auror entrance exams. If they were successful, and if – _when_ – they would be accepted, the training would start in September.

Alice couldn't wait to have more time with Frank and have some free time, but she also admitted that she'd probably be very busy until the wedding. Sirius and James on the other hand were content on spending the summer lazily, in their new homes, but ready to take part in new adventures with each other and if the opportunity presented itself, causing mischief, to Lily's utter displeasure.

Peter was starting his apprenticeship as an Advanced Rune Translator on Monday morning. Remus explained to everyone that he was going abroad, to spend his summer in Germany with his parents, and would be coming back in the beginning of the fall. He would be starting his English Language and Literature course in the Durham University in October.

Hermione was starting her own apprenticeship in August. But she had many, _many_ things to figure out before that.

Before the train arrived to London, each of them received a letter with a phoenix seal. Hermione already knew what it was about as she tore her letter open.

 _I would like to invite you into a small get together in the Hog's Head, Hogsmeade, on June 25th, at 8pm._

 _Albus Dumbledore_

When each of them had finished reading their invitations, the letters burst into flames, vanishing in the air. They were invited to join the Order of the Phoenix.

James hastily threw a silencing charm to the door and the group began discussing about next Sunday.

* * *

 **June 19th 1978 (Monday)**

On Monday, Hermione had gone to furniture shopping with Lily, meaning to buy only the essentials since she and Remus really didn't have that much money to spend. Remus had brought some of his possessions with him from his parents' home, as had she, thanks to Ab, but those were mainly beds, writing desks and such, which were placed in their own bedrooms in their new home.

She had managed to find a small dining room set – after all, they could always use magic to enlarge it and conjure more chairs if they were entertaining guests – as well as a small couch, suitable for the two of them. Lily had coaxed her to buy a television set, which was rather expensive, but Hermione really missed the telly. She remembered watching her favourite programmes with her parents when she'd been younger. And since their home was in a muggle neighbourhood, it was relatively easy to set up.

Hermione had even managed to settle the delivery for the next day, so they wouldn't have to live in an empty place for long. Hermione and Lily had eaten a late lunch, and after that, Lily had left to her parents' place to pack up her things and prepare to move in Godric's Hollow while James was doing the same at his parents' home.

Sirius and Remus were upstairs when Hermione came home later that day. _Home._ The thought made her smile.

She walked up the stairs and found Sirius sprawled in Remus's bed, leaning against the headboard and sipping a Butterbeer while Remus was organising his books onto the bookshelf. His room was rather modest; a decent sized bed with red sheets and a single nightstand with a small reading lamp rested against one wall. On the opposite wall, next to the door where Hermione was lingering at, was a bookshelf Remus was now enlarging in order to fit all of his books into it. He had placed his writing desk against one wall next to a wardrobe, and one wall was bare from furniture, with only a large window with a view to the courtyard garden. It was the same view she had in her room.

"Hey guys," Hermione greeted them. Both boys nodded at her.

"Did you find anything?" Remus asked and turned to her, handing her a Butterbeer.

"Thanks. Yeah, I did, actually." She said, recounting her findings to him. Remus seemed satisfied, and Hermione eventually excused herself and went to her own room. She hadn't had the chance to unpack anything but her bed last night from the box Ab had placed with her belongings before they'd left from Hogsmeade station on Sunday. The furniture had been of course charmed with the shrinking charm, as well as the feather-light charm.

"You need help?" Sirius asked, leaning against her doorframe.

Hermione worried her lip. "Um…sure," she said with a shrug.

Sirius nodded and waved his wand at the box, levitating everything from it. "Where do you want these?" He asked and Hermione eyed the room for a moment before she gave him instructions where to place each item before charming them back into their normal size and weight.

Soon her room looked like it had in Hog's Head. She even charmed the walls to be the same dark blue colour, to get more familiarity to the place. She was quite thankful Ab had given her everything from her room in the Hog's Head, so she didn't have to spend that much money on her belongings. When everything but the insides of her trunk was in place, Sirius and Hermione both eyed each other expectantly.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Let's go to Leaky to grab some dinner before Remus has to leave, yeah?" he asked with a small smile.

Hermione nodded, a bit relieved when he wasn't expecting for them to speak about last Saturday. "Okay."

They went to the Leaky Cauldron, and Peter and James joined them as well. It was almost like before the graduation, before Sirius had talked about his feelings, and made everything between them more complicated that it had been. After dinner, Hermione and Remus went back to their home since his portkey was about to set off soon, while the rest of the boys stayed at the pub.

* * *

 **June 21st 1978 (Wednesday)**

Hermione woke up early on Wednesday morning, in her new bedroom after a night of tossing and turning. It was odd, waking up alone in the room, when she had been living with roommates for the major part of the last seven years. It was rather lonely. She didn't even have Remus's company, since he had left to Belby's trial in Germany. Hermione lay in her bed for a while and tried to steady her excited and anxious nerves. She was going to meet Regulus today. And she would have to steal a Horcrux, from Malfoy Manor of all places.

Groaning, she stood up, went to shower and to have breakfast. McGonagall would arrive in a couple of hours, and Hermione wanted to arrange their home a bit before that. Their furniture had arrived the day before, and she had managed to put everything but the television set on place last night. Hermione decided to organise the kitchenware she had bought yesterday after figuring that she and Remus needed at least a couple of cups, glasses, plates, utensils and such.

When the kitchen was in order, Hermione conjured a plush carpet in front of the television before she started to set it up. The television was perched atop of a wooden stand she had transfigured from a dining set chair. Their sitting room started to look more homely, and she couldn't wait to go to work so that she could earn some money to spend on their lovely apartment.

After an hour working with the television set, Hermione gave up with a loud huff. Just in time, since the doorbell rang then. Since Remus and Hermione hadn't yet managed to connect their fireplace into the floo-network, the only way of entering their home was walking through the front door. Or apparating, but they had placed rather strong wards around the house, and were still figuring out how to grant access to certain persons to apparate into their home, rather than outside. Hermione went to the door, and let McGonagall in. It was a very, _very_ odd experience, having her old Head of House in her home, making preparations for her to attend a wedding.

Of course, she remembered her manners. "Would you like some tea?" Hermione asked as McGonagall settled down on the couch and eyed the television set with a curious look.

"Yes, please." McGonagall said, turning to look at Hermione with a small smile.

Hermione busied herself with the tea and soon she levitated a small tray into the sitting room, placing it on the coffee table in front of the couch. She poured a cup of tea and passed it to the older witch before pouring herself a cup.

"Thank you," McGonagall said with a tight nod.

They sipped their drinks in silence, before McGonagall cleared her throat. "Is that a television?" She asked, eyeing the device in front of them.

Hermione suppressed a smile. "Oh, yes, it is. Lily implored me to buy it, since they can't really get one for their home in Godric's Hollow." She explained quickly.

McGonagall inclined her head and placed her cup back to the tray. "Shall we begin?" She asked, straightening herself up on the couch.

Hermione chewed the corner of her mouth as she nodded and put her cup away as well.

They both stood up. McGonagall started with her height – she added a couple of inches, nothing too drastic so that Hermione maintained her balance. She transfigured Hermione's hair into light blonde, keeping the same length, but making it a bit softer and not as curly as it had been. McGonagall transfigured Hermione's face as well; her eye colour was switched from brown to blue, her forehead and mouth transfigured a bit smaller, her lips fuller. When Hermione finally glanced at the full-length mirror her old teacher had conjured, she gasped in shock.

"Wow…" She whispered, staring at her new exterior with her blue eyes widened in complete surprise.

McGonagall supressed a smirk. "I think that will do." She said and cast a tempus charm. "You should get ready, it's already half three." She said, gathering her belongings and moving towards the hallway.

"Oh. Yes, I will." Hermione mumbled, following the older witch.

"Good luck, Hermione. I'm sure everything will go fine. Trust yourself. I will." She gave her a warm, reassuring smile. It was so un-McGonagall-ish, that Hermione nearly faltered.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said with a polite smile.

"Minerva." The professor corrected.

Hermione smiled and nodded.

"I'll meet you in the Hog's Head this evening," McGonagall said before she left.

Hermione took a steadying breath. She could do this. She had only an hour or so, before Regulus would arrive. She had sent her address to him through the galleon the day before, and he had replied that he would come to pick her up around half four in the afternoon.

She dashed into her bedroom and applied a small amount of makeup, keeping her look simple. She charmed her hair a bit – it wasn't really that strenuous task, as McGonagall had already charmed her hair into wavy locks. Hermione opted to keep her hair down, and bit her lip as she stared at the dress she had bought yesterday when she'd been shopping, the dress that she'd hung on the coat rack in the hall – from which McGonagall had presumably drawn inspiration to Hermione's transfigured eyes. The gown was the same, steel blue colour as her eyes now were, styled for a Greek goddess.

The high-neck bodice was lace, and the rest of it, the sweeping mesh skirt, descended beautifully down to her toes. There was no back to speak of, and her back was bared to just above the crack of her bum in a V-cut. It was perhaps a risqué thing to wear into a pureblood wedding, so she had decided to accompany the dress with a simple shawl.

Hermione sat waiting on her sitting room couch, her feet crossed and her ankle dangling nervously. She had put on a pair of black heels the girls had gifted her, which she had transfigured a bit, along with her beaded bag, to make them more suitable for the dress.

A knock at the door made her breath catch in her throat. She stood up, trying to calm herself again before she marched to the hall and opened the door.

He was there. Regulus. And he was frowning at her. Searching for something.

"May I come in?" He asked finally, glancing around him at the street.

Hermione blinked. "Oh. Yes, of course." She moved slightly to give him enough space to enter the house.

Once the door was closed, Regulus stared at her quietly with a longing look in his eyes. "You look beautiful, Hermione," He said softly.

She laughed. "Even though I'm not Hermione? At least, I hope no one will recognise me as Hermione," She muttered.

A smile tugged at his lips. "I would recognise you even if I was blind," He merely said.

Her heart fluttered. _Why was he saying things like that?_

"I mean…Your voice hasn't changed," He said after clearing his throat.

Her mouth curved a bit. "No, but I suppose no one there knows how I sound?" She said and moved towards the sitting room, gesturing for him to follow her.

He did, and his eyes studied the place as he walked behind her, finally landing on her.

"Nice place." He muttered.

"Thank you. The bedrooms are upstairs, as well as the bathroom, and everything else is here." She explained, hoping that she wasn't rambling too much.

He nodded. "You want to go through the plan one more time?" He asked and sat down on the couch, eyeing her with an unreadable expression.

"Sure." She said, and sat down next to him. "So, um…I'll go to the library when the speeches start? You're going to make one as well?" She asked, remembering he'd said that he was required to make a speech as the deputy Head of House Black, since his father was too ill to attend the wedding.

"Yeah. And if that fails, you just use any other chance you get, right?" He asked, frowning a bit.

Hermione nodded.

"And you know your way to the library?" He asked, even though he knew she would. They had gone over the floorplan of the Malfoy Manor several times when they had planned the mission in the Room of Requirement. He had once even asked the room to change to the Malfoy Manor. Hermione flinched as she remembered the terror she had felt when she had seen the drawing room where she had been tortured. But she reckoned that it had helped, visiting the horrid place with someone she trusted.

They talked about the timeline of the wedding before it was almost five in the afternoon. Regulus then pulled a silver envelope from his robes, with beautiful black script written across the front of it and the Malfoy family crest in the corner.

"It's a portkey." He said, holding the envelope in front of her.

Hermione eyed it and took a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay. I'm ready." She said, staring deep into his eyes and took a hold of the envelope, her fingers brushing his as they waited for the portkey to activate. Hermione shivered and her breathing quickened a bit.

"Just stay calm, love." Regulus whispered right before the familiar tug behind her navel came.

* * *

"What was that?" She asked as they landed outside of Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire.

"What?" He asked, staring ahead with a blank look.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What you said to me before we left," she said weakly.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

Hermione sighed. They were silent as they walked through the gates after the invitation had granted them access through the wards, and along the path leading to the grand manor ahead of them. The daunting building brought back the unwanted memories of her torture, so she tried to focus on something else.

"So much fire," Hermione muttered quietly as they neared the Manor. The gardens and the pathway were decorated with several small bell fires and candles.

"Well, it is Summer Solstice. The rituals are to honour the Sun gods, the Divine Light and the element of fire," Regulus said simply.

Hermione glanced at him. "I know," she said.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Okay. Then you probably know that this time is also thought as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of women and childbirth. Juno blesses women with the privilege of menstruation," Regulus went on indifferently, while Hermione scrunched up her nose to him. "The month of June was named for her, and because Juno is the patroness of marriage, the month is a popular time for weddings," He said, smirking at her reaction.

They finally stepped inside the Manor and made their way towards the large ballroom where the Malfoys, as well as Narcissa's parents were waiting to greet the incoming quests. Abraxas Malfoy bowed politely to Regulus and Hermione.

"Mr. Black, you are looking well," Mr. Malfoy said with a smile that did not reach his cold eyes.

"Not quite as well as you, sir. This will be a grand day for the Malfoys, as well as the Blacks, of course," Regulus replied politely, an emotionless expression on his face.

Mr. Malfoy nodded in agreement. "And who might this be?" He asked, shifting his cold eyes to Hermione, subtly leering at her from head to toe. Hermione grew very uncomfortable under his gaze.

"This is the beautiful Miss Gabrielle Demengeot. She is an attaché of the Magical Embassy in Paris, currently meeting her distant relatives here in England. And my date for the night." Regulus said simply.

Mr. Malfoy lifted his brows a bit, but Hermione was fairly certain he had only heard her name, since he was ogling her with an enthralled look in his eyes.

"Enchanté," Mr. Malfoy said and swept her hand in his, placing a feathery light kiss on the back of her hand. Hermione tried not to shiver, as a carbon copy of the Lucius Malfoy she knew from the future was touching her. She greeted him back as politely as she could and followed Regulus to greet Lady Malfoy.

The woman narrowed her eyes at Hermione, but shook her hand politely. They moved to greet Regulus's uncle and aunt, and for some reason, Hermione was even more anxious to meet them than she was meeting the Malfoys. Apparently, Regulus was nervous as well. Even though his face showed no emotions, Hermione could see small changes in his demeanour; the tightness in his jaw, the tension in his back, and the small lift in his shoulders.

"Good to see you, nephew. It is unfortunate that my sister or my brother-in-law weren't able to join us," Cygnus Black said with an obscure look, his eyes flickering to Hermione before moving back to Regulus. His mouth curved a bit. "A foreigner?" Cygnus drawled, his eyes drilling into Regulus's.

Regulus was silent for a while before he replied. "Yes."

Cygnus let out a small laugh, which sounded very much like Sirius's in Hermione's opinion. "Well then, why don't you introduce us, dear nephew?" He asked, a challenging look flashing in his eyes.

Hermione could see Regulus swallowing before he cleared his throat. "Certainly. This is Miss Gabrielle Demengeot, uncle," Regulus said and glanced at Hermione.

She could see a hint of worry in his eyes. Hermione bit her tongue to calm herself. Cygnus was going to read her mind; there was no doubt about it. Or he would try, at least.

Cygnus greeted her politely, took her hand and bowed over it, holding it slightly longer than was proper as he straightened his back and stared into Hermione's eyes. Hermione replied cordially, forcing her mind to stay clear and instead tried to think of some imaginary memories that suited her cover story. She could feel him probing her mind, but she did not look away. After a short moment, Cygnus dropped her hand and flashed her a smile.

"You are most welcome," He said charmingly and turned to nod at Regulus.

After greeting Regulus's aunt, Druella Black, the two finally moved forward into the ballroom, where the other guests were mingling amongst each other, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin.

"Merlin…that was…" Hermione whispered, swallowing hard. It had been a close call, since they hadn't been prepared for someone performing Legilimency on them.

"Yeah," Regulus breathed nervously, gritting his teeth while he steered her towards the bar. "I need a drink," he muttered, his fingers pressing against the small of her back.

Hermione arched a brow at him but said nothing. She tried not to think about the warm feeling in her stomach his touch caused.

A moment later they sipped their drinks as they observed the gathering crowd, and Hermione could tell there wasn't a single Muggleborn in the midst of the Wizarding families, Wizengamot members and Ministry officials. Soon everyone started to move towards the garden to take their places on the rows and rows of chairs, which signified that the ceremony was about to start.

Hermione and Regulus sat amongst the others and watched the ceremony, where the bride and groom gave their wedding vows to one another, and thus were bonded for life.

As Hermione was tapping her foot restlessly on the soft grass, her thoughts whirling in the mission, thinking of the route to the library as well as her escape plan, Regulus took her hand and ran a thumb softly across her knuckles. Hermione stiffened, and just like that she was only able to think of the tingling in the spot he had stroked. She didn't dare to glance at him, but she could hear him let out a soft sigh.

When the ceremony was over, the minister, who had bonded the couple, left from the front. There was a polite applause and then all the guests stood up, forming a line to give their congratulations. Servants started to walk around the guests, carrying flutes of champagne on silver trays.

After everyone had briefly complimented the couple, the guests moved back inside into the ballroom where round tables had been set up for the reception. One by one, the guests sat down, all except Hermione, who lingered back so that she could sneak away when the first speech would start. She hoped to Merlin no one would notice her.

A moment later she slipped away from the ballroom and ducked in a dark alcove in the hallway. Hermione searched through her purse for a bit, finally finding what she was looking for, and pulled out the Invisibility cloak. She threw it on hastily, and made her way through the polished halls towards the second floor of the Manor. She didn't see anyone in her way, which she was glad of.

Finally, she walked quietly through the library doors and after making sure no one was there, she took off the cloak and put it back into her purse. She took in the view in front of her, gazing in wonder at the impressive and luxurious room. Ancient, rare volumes surrounded her in tall bookshelves that were covering every wall. It was a paradise for someone like her. Or so she thought as she eyed the spines of endless rows of books.

Hermione shook her head slightly and focused on the mission, walking past several shelves which were filled with dark and unique books she knew she was better to steer clear from. But no Horcrux.

Time passed, and she was beginning to feel anxious. Someone was bound to find her soon. How in the name of Merlin was she supposed to find the diary amongst all of these books?

 _Why couldn't it be as easy as a flick of her wand_? She thought bitterly, but then halted. _Wait…_

What if it could be summoned? Could it be that easy, though?

"Oh, sod it…" She whispered and lifted her wand.

"Accio Riddle's Diary!" She called quietly and a book instantly came soaring into her outstretched hand.

Hermione was dumbfounded for a moment, staring at the book and screaming inside her head how could she NOT have thought about it right away. She quickly tucked the book into her purse, and shook her head in annoyance.

Regulus slipped into the library just then, making her gasp in surprise.

"It's okay, it's just me," He said quietly, approaching her. "Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked, eyeing her anxiously.

Hermione let out a deep breath. "Yes, I did. Let's just get out of here, okay?" She whispered, not wanting to spend a moment longer in the Manor.

"Yeah, okay." He nodded and turned, but stopped abruptly, making Hermione collide against him.

"What – "

"Someone's coming!" He hissed, and turned towards her.

His eyes swept over her, and he clenched his jaw. Hermione's eyes widened with fear, and she had no time to think or to say anything, before he acted. Just as they heard footsteps outside the library, Regulus shoved her roughly against the nearest bookshelf and crushed his lips against hers.

Hermione froze in place. Regulus was kissing her. Thoroughly snogging her, with his hands travelling along her sides, sending shivers down her body. Hermione was stunned for a moment, before she realised. He was using the kiss as their cover. She let out a soft breath and kissed him back, her hands sliding into his soft black locks, pulling him closer to her.

Regulus made a surprised sound but didn't stop devouring her lips while his hands trailed from her waist onto her back, his fingers skimming the bare skin there. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, sliding in easily and plundering her mouth. Hermione whimpered and arched against him, her grip in his hair tightening, making him groan against her lips.

His hands grazed over her hips and trailed lower, and then he lifted her thigh to rest against his leg, his other hand sliding down over the curve of her bum, pulling her closer, all the while ravishing her mouth. Hermione writhed against him as she felt his hardness against her core, and another groan escaped from his lips.

The door opened.

"What is the meaning of this?" A cold voice of none other than Lucius Malfoy demanded.

Hermione and Regulus jumped apart, both staring at Malfoy with wide eyes, a flush creeping down both of their necks. Malfoy took in their rumpled state, and then he was looking closely at Hermione; her rapidly heaving chest, her swollen, thoroughly kissed lips before he grinned maliciously at Regulus.

"Couldn't wait to get her home, Black? Or are you sneaking up here because you are not going to introduce her to the family in Grimmauld Place? Is she your _dirty_ little secret?" He asked with a dangerous look in his eyes.

Something cold went down Hermione's spine and she actually flinched at the comment.

"I personally don't blame you. I mean I might be married now but look at her! What a wanton little witch you've got there..." he said and gave her a nasty look as he spoke to Regulus, as if she wasn't even there.

Hermione suppressed a sneer.

Hermione could practically feel Regulus gritting his teeth next to her. "You know how it is, Malfoy, when there's something you want, you just can't wait to have it. And my girl here just loves her books...Please excuse us," He said coolly and took Hermione's arm and led her away from the library, towards the gardens, that were now empty of guests.

As they reached a scattering of trees well away from the Manor, Regulus regarded her for a moment, swallowing hard. Hermione watched as his throat bobbed and he seemed to struggle with something. They both knew the kiss wasn't just a decoy.

"I think you should go now." He eventually said.

Hermione's face fell. "Yes, um, sure," She replied in confusion and averted her eyes from him, trying not to be hurt by his words.

"Hermione…" Regulus murmured and when she looked at him, she saw him looking at her with a pained expression. She knew how he felt.

Regulus took a step closer to her and pushed a tendril of hair away from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. His fingertips remained on the hollow below her ear, and he absentmindedly brushed his thumb over her cheek.

Hermione tilted her head to lean into his hand and studied him for a moment. "I know. I understand. Maybe…when all this is over, maybe when we are older…" She whispered and let out a weary sigh.

"Or maybe it just wasn't meant to happen…" She whispered, biting back a sob.

Regulus took a sharp breath but remained silent.

"I…I just can't sit at home and wait for it. You know?" She said, staring at him with a pleading look.

Regulus said nothing and merely clenched his jaw, a suffering look taking over his beautiful face as he nodded to her.

Hermione swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll go now. Take care, Reg," she said, leaned closer to him and lowered her hand against his chest hesitantly.

He didn't move, only stared at her with that pained look, the muscles in his jaw and throat working. She closed the distance between them and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. Regulus's eyes fluttered shut.

Hermione took a step back, turned around and walked away from him. After she crossed over the wards, she disapparated.

Regulus watched her leave him, but she did not look back once.

* * *

A few hours later, Regulus sat on a bench in the back of the gardens outside Malfoy Manor. He was sipping Firewhiskey from a tumbler, and had already lost count of how many drinks he had consumed. It was better that way, numbing him from the pain he was surely going to experience later that night. It was the Summer Solstice. The night he was going to take the mark.

In the front of the garden, people were laughing and having a great time. And why wouldn't they? It was a wedding, after all. He continued to drink, swallowing the last of the contents with a large gulp before placing the empty glass on the small table beside him.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Regulus tensed slightly, his grey eyes turning to meet the woman approaching him. He lifted his chin at the young woman that stood before him. "Bella."

Her black hair was as thick and shiny as his was, and she shared the sharp, angular features that were a Black family trait.

"Little cousin," she greeted with a devious smile. "All grown up, are we?"

Regulus narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you want, Bella? I'm really not in a mood for small talk, no offence cousin—"

Bellatrix laughed. "What's got you so moody, my sweet Regulus? Don't say you had a thing for my dear sister, eh? Well, she's taken now." She smirked.

Regulus suppressed a shudder. Marrying one's cousin was not something he fantasised about.

"Or are you depressed that the filthy blood-traitor of a brother of yours is not here with you, hmm?" She taunted.

Regulus thought that that was a bit thick coming from her, since she also had a blood-traitor for a sibling. He gave her a dry look. "Isn't that the pot calling kettle black? What about Andromeda?" He couldn't resist saying it aloud.

"That bitch is not a sister of mine anymore. Don't you dare speaking her name to me!" Bellatrix snapped furiously.

"You are not having any second thoughts on anything, are you? About tonight?" Bellatrix took his arm and clung to it, digging her nails into his forearm as though she was sending a message.

Regulus merely stared at her with an expressionless face, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"You know I can have that pathetic brother of yours sent to the gallows in the most horrid way possible if necessary…" she said softly, eyeing carefully his reaction.

Regulus swallowed. He knew someone would hurt Sirius if he didn't do what was expected from him, even though he had tried to make it seem as if he didn't care about his brother anymore. Clearing his throat, he said coolly, "That is not necessary."

Bellatrix looked at him again with a vicious grin, "Remember, Regulus. You are the heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Toujours Pur, cousin."

"Toujours Pur," Regulus replied quietly.

* * *

Hermione arrived into Hogsmeade apparition point and walked towards the Hog's Head. The pub was closed, and she waved her wand to dismantle the wards before she opened the door.

As she walked in, she saw Gideon and Fabian standing in the middle of the pub, their wands drawn, while McGonagall, Dumbledore and Ab were standing next to a table, their wands at the ready as well.

"Hey," Hermione said, eyeing everyone. Both Gideon and Fabian eyed her disguise with interest.

"I believe security questions are in order," Gideon muttered, looking at her warily.

Hermione arched a brow at him. "I could've easily tortured the information from someone. But, okay. What did you do that one night in October, your final year at Hogwarts, in the Transfiguration classroom?" Hermione asked with a knowing smirk.

Gideon's eyes widened, and he spluttered incoherently. McGonagall eyed him curiously, clearly trying to remember the incident before she waved her wand at Hermione, untransfiguring her back to the way she was. Fabian sniggered at his brother.

Gideon finally collected himself. "Fine." He said harshly to Hermione, sending a glare at his brother.

Dumbledore, Ab and McGonagall all eyed their discussion with subtle smiles.

"Were you successful?" Dumbledore asked, his expression turning serious.

Hermione nodded, pulling the diary from her purse and placing it on the table.

Fabian whooped and grabbed her into a crushing hug, lifting her up and laughing as Hermione screamed in surprise. Gideon shook his head in exasperation and when his brother released her, Gideon patted Hermione on the shoulder.

"Well done," He said with a sincere smile.

Hermione smiled back and they all gathered around the table. Ab retreated to the bar, while the others stared at the small diary with wary looks.

"By the way, how do we know it's the one?" Fabian asked unsurely.

Dumbledore frowned a bit. "We test it."

Hermione whirled to look at him in bewilderment. "It could be dangerous. What if _he_ has some connection to it?" Hermione asked, worrying her lip.

Dumbledore eyed her thoughtfully. "I assume that Voldemort doesn't have a connection to his Horcruxes, since he has been oblivious to the destruction of the Gaunt ring," he said matter-of-factly.

He opened the book and pulled a feather quill from his robes and handed it to her.

Hermione took the quill, her hand shaking as she put the tip against the blank page and wrote, " _My name is Hermione_."

Her handwriting was visible only for a moment, before it vanished, as if the ink was sucked into the page.

" _Hello, Hermione. My name is Tom Riddle. May I inquire who gave you my diary?_ "

"Good Godric," McGonagall muttered, eyeing the vanishing ink in shock.

Dumbledore hummed. "I believe this is the one. I suggest we do not write on it anymore, and move on to destroy it immediately. Thank you, Hermione," He said and closed the book, putting the diary and the quill into his robes.

They agreed to leave at once, and meet in Letterfearn. McGonagall and Dumbledore disapparated, as did Gideon and Fabian. Hermione lingered a bit, as she wanted to say goodbye to Ab. She approached the bar where he was scrubbing the counter with a filthy rag.

"Hey Ab," Hermione said hesitantly.

He lifted his eyes and stared at her for a moment. "Hey. You look stunning, Hermione." He grumbled and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you."

"Is everything okay?" He asked, frowning slightly as he studied her appearance.

 _Trust him to notice…_ Hermione thought before she nodded. "Yes, of course." She said, looking down.

Ab eyed her suspiciously but nodded. "And how are you settling down in your new place?" He asked gruffly.

Hermione shrugged. "Okay, I guess. It's a bit lonely, but…well, luckily I have all the extracurricular activities to keep me busy…" She said and laughed quietly.

Ab huffed. "I argued with Albus, you know, to not let you in…"

Hermione smiled. "I assumed as much. But I'll still see you on Sunday."

"Yes, unfortunately." He grumbled.

Hermione shook her head while she smiled at him. She knew Ab was only trying to protect her, not wanting her to join the Order. Somewhere along the way, he had come to mean something more to her, he was like a family member perhaps, and she reckoned the feeling was mutual.

Hermione gave him a final glance over her shoulder, turning on the spot. She appeared into McGonagall's sitting room in Letterfearn, where the others were waiting.

 _Two down. Three to go_ , Hermione thought as she walked towards the cave with the others.


	34. A Hen night, a wedding and a disclosure

**A/N:** Hi folks! Our story continues, finally...Thank you for sticking up with me, reviewing, following and favouriting this story, you make my day. So, let me know what you think!

* * *

 **Chapter 34: A Hen night, a wedding and a disclosure**

 **July 7th 1978 (Friday)**

The girls had decided to have Alice's hen night at Hermione's and Remus's place, after Alice had insisted that she only wanted a quiet girls' night in, with lots of wine and gossip. Remus was still in Germany, so they had the whole place for themselves. It was the first time since their graduation that the girls would spend some time together, since everyone had been quite busy with their daily lives – Hermione too, as she had worked at the Hog's Head every day during the past couple of weeks.

Their group had met a couple of weeks ago when they had attended to their first Order meeting, but the meeting had ended so late that most of them hadn't had a chance to stay and chat afterwards. Mary, Peter, Lily and Frank – Alice's fiancé, who was a new addition to their group – all had to work early the next day. The meeting itself was enlightening – Hermione and her friends finally had the chance to meet the Order members and be up-to-date on what was happening in the wizarding war. Hermione had been surprised to see James's parents there, as well as both Alice's and Frank's parents.

Hermione and her friends had learned that there had been several disappearances and attacks against the Muggleborn and Muggle families during the past months, of which some the Order had managed to stop before there had been any casualties. Still, there had been many incidents they hadn't been able to prevent. Dumbledore had informed everyone that they were working with getting someone inside Voldemort's inner circle, in order to receive more information about his movements and plans. Hermione had assumed he meant Regulus, who had taken the mark earlier that week. She felt bad because of it, truth to be told. She had met him earlier that day, at the Malfoy wedding, but had been so preoccupied with the Horcrux that she had forgotten what he was about to face later that night. But what could she have said or done to make it better for him? Probably nothing.

With the diary now destroyed, Gideon and Fabian were preparing to leave to Albania in order to search for the diadem. Dumbledore had suggested that they would continue their meetings once the brothers had returned from their trip, and in the meantime the rest of them would focus on Order business, as well as their daily lives and routines.

"Where do you want these?" Lily asked as she took three bottles of muggle wine from a shopping bag and placed them on the counter where Mary and Hermione were preparing their food for the night.

Mary eyed the bottles curiously before Hermione spoke to Lily. "Just put them in the fridge," she said, waving her hand towards the kitchen. Lily nodded and put the bottles away.

"You know we have elf-made wine as well? Like, three bottles?" Mary asked with a smirk.

Lily shrugged and gave her friend a wry smile. "Well, you never know if you and Allie decide to get totally legless tonight…"

Mary arched a brow. "Me and Allie? Let me remind you about our graduation night, Lils…" She said, exchanging a knowing smirk with Hermione.

Lily blushed and quickly changed the topic. "So, what time is Alice coming?"

"In a couple of hours," Hermione said, checking the timepiece on the wall. It was four in the afternoon.

The doorbell rang.

Hermione frowned to the others. "We're not expecting anyone now, right?" She said and went to the hallway after Mary and Lily shook their heads.

Her wand gripped in her hand behind her back, she opened the door and found Sirius leaning against the wall next to the door, looking ever the bad boy with his black fitted t-shirt, slim jeans and dragon hide boots, his leather jacket hanging over his shoulder.

"Sirius? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in bewilderment.

Sirius lifted an eyebrow. "How do you know it's me?" He said and winked at her. "Now…What am I, kitten?"

Hermione sighed. They had been advised to take some security measurements when meeting anyone. Hermione reckoned the security questions were rather pointless, since someone could've easily used Veritaserum to learn the security questions of a certain person before impersonating him or her.

"…You're a big, bad dog," She grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him while Sirius grinned triumphantly. Sirius had insisted that that was the only correct security question and answer his friends were allowed to use, even though Hermione was quite sure only the Marauders and herself knew the true meaning behind those words. How the raven-haired man had managed to enforce something like that on his friends, was beyond her grasp.

He smirked at her. "That's my girl," He said and sniggered when Hermione nearly seethed at him.

"Hold on to your knickers, love…I just wanted to pop by and bring you girls a small treat," He said and lifted his brows with a knowing look.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sirius…Please tell me the treat isn't you?" She asked in exasperation.

Sirius barked a laugh. "No, kitten. That I'll save just for you," He said with a piercing gaze, which made her a bit uncomfortable. They still hadn't talked about their relationship, or the things he had said at the graduation party, as they both had been avoiding the subject every time they'd met. Hermione worried her lip and Sirius cleared his throat.

He pulled a bottle of Firewhiskey from the insides of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "I reckon you didn't have any proper drinks, so…here you go," he said and smiled.

"Oh. Thanks," Hermione said with a surprised look and gave him a small smile. "But…Shouldn't you be at Frank's bachelor party?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way there." He said with a nod and turned to leave. "Have nice night," He said with a wink before he disapparated right from her doorstep. Hermione huffed as he hadn't even made sure no one was watching him leaving. She looked over the empty street before she shut the door and returned to the girls.

Mary whooped. "YESS! I knew he was useful for something!" She exclaimed and took the bottle from Hermione, who pursed her lips at her friend. Lily shook her head in amusement but gave Hermione an obscure look as she continued putting together their snacks.

A while later, Alice came and they started the evening with glasses of sparkling wine Lily had brought them.

"To your last days as a free woman!" Mary exclaimed.

Alice arched a brow at Mary. "Not exactly free now either…but, I'll drink to that." She said, and they all toasted and sipped their drinks.

After dinner, a delicious pasta salad and a variety of snacks, they retreated to the sitting area, where Hermione had duplicated the couch in order to fit them better. Mary had insisted that they should play a party game, ' _Did You Ever vs. Would You Ever',_ where the players would draw cards with raunchy questions they had to answer truthfully.

"Okay, Allie goes first," Mary said, looking at the girl in question expectantly as she took a sip from her drink. They had decided to open the Firewhiskey bottle and each of them now had a glass of the amber liquid in their hands. They were supposed to take a sip every time they answered with a 'no' to a question.

Alice groaned and took a card, blushing when she first read it silently and then aloud, " _Have you ever had owl sex?"_

The girls giggled while Alice bit her lip and gave an embarrassing nod to the others, downing her drink in one gulp, even though she wasn't required to. Mary snorted and filled Alice's glass while Hermione and Lily sniggered at their friend.

It was Lily's turn. She took a card and guffawed. " _Would you ever have sex on a broom?_ " She read the card aloud. "That's impossible! No, absolutely not!" She exclaimed incredulously, taking a sip of the burning liquid, coughing slightly at the burn.

"You know, that actually isn't impossible. I mean, I'm pretty sure I heard that a Ravenclaw did it with her boyfriend when we were at school," Mary said thoughtfully.

Hermione and Alice shared a sceptical look, while Lily seemed to be a bit…intrigued.

Hermione took the next card and read it aloud. " _Would you ever have sex with someone you weren't attracted to?_ " She frowned. "Um…no? How does one even have sex with someone they aren't attracted to?" She asked in confusion, sipping her drink and making a face. She really didn't enjoy the Firewhiskey, like all the guys – and Mary – in their group seemed to.

Mary shrugged. "Well, maybe if you just want to get laid that badly," she said matter-of-factly. Hermione and Alice giggled.

"Well, I wouldn't. I'd have to have even more than just an attraction to have sex with someone," Lily said, pursing her lips. Alice and Hermione nodded in agreement.

Mary gave a noncommittal shrug and took a card. " _Did you ever perform a striptease for someone?_ " She read and gave the others a shark-like grin. "Yes, I did," She said and waggled her brows, making the others laugh and blush slightly.

Alice lifted the next card. " _Would you ever have sex with two people who were related by blood (not at the same time)?_ " She scoffed. "No! Ew. That would be…disgusting!" She said, and turned to the others, who were watching Hermione with careful looks. Hermione was frozen in place, staring at the table, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

Alice winced. "Oops…I'm sorry, Hermione…" She muttered.

Hermione shook her head. "It's okay. Just, can we not play this anymore?" She asked with a slight cringe. While she hadn't gone as far as to sleep with Sirius, she _had_ still dated him, and his brother.

The others agreed hastily and soon they were watching a show that was on television, which Hermione had managed to get working with a little help from Lily and Arthur Weasley.

Hermione had invited the Weasleys and her other friends over the previous week, but from their group only James, Lily and Sirius had been able to come. While James and Sirius had been playing with the Weasley boys at the gardens in their courtyard, Arthur and Lily had been working on with the television set. Lily's father had a muggle electronics business, so she knew a thing or two about electronic devices. While the two had been struggling with the television, Hermione and Molly had been happy to catch up while feeding the twins, who were now already three months old.

"Oh, Hermione? How did you do with your NEWTs?" Alice asked as she filled four glasses of wine and interrupted Hermione's thoughts.

They had received their NEWT scores last week, and Hermione already knew Alice got accepted into the Auror program, along with James and Sirius, and that Lily and Mary would be starting their Healer training in September.

"Great, I think," Hermione said, beaming at Alice.

Lily rolled her eyes. "She means that she had the perfect score," she grumbled, taking a sip of the elf-made wine after accepting the glass from Alice.

Alice and Mary stared at Hermione and Lily curiously. "Oh?" Mary asked.

"Well, I didn't get the perfect score, thank you very much. I did receive one Exceeds Expectations. From DADA." Hermione said with a pointed look towards Lily. "You know, the course you aced?"

They all knew Lily had received all but one Outstanding as well, her only E was from Astronomy.

"I knew you both would get the highest scores in our group," Mary huffed, looking something between disgruntled and amused as she grabbed a handful of popcorn from the table.

"You know, I think Remus was the one who got the highest score," Hermione said thoughtfully.

The others turned to look at her. "How would you know? You've been in contact with him?" Lily asked with her brows furrowed.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I had to deal some apartment related things with him, and we did catch up as well," she said with a mild shrug. Hermione had finally managed to get their fireplace connected to the floo-network earlier that week, and Remus had had the chance to give her a floo-call the day after.

Hermione knew that Lily didn't dare to ask anything else, as they both knew that Remus was with Belby, but that Mary and Alice didn't. Still, the redheaded witch looked slightly affronted, and Hermione reckoned it was probably because Remus hadn't contacted Lily, even though they were close friends.

"I wonder if the boys are at some pub right now…" Alice said thoughtfully, after a short silence.

Mary whirled to look at her. "We should go too! I mean, not to the same place, but, you know, out!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, stumbling to her feet and swaying a bit. They were getting a bit tipsy after all the wine and whiskey they had consumed.

Alice looked undecided. "I dunno…"

Mary turned to Hermione and Lily and gave them a threatening stare. "You two are in, right?"

Hermione and Lily nodded hastily, while Alice worried her lip.

"Let's go, Allie! It's your last night as a single girl," Mary said with a no-nonsense voice, beckoning Alice to stand up from the couch.

"I'm not single, I'm engaged, you daft!" Alice said and shook her head but eventually stood up. "Fine…if you all are on board, I'm willing to go out," she said with a sigh.

The others whooped and went to get ready for a girls' night out.

* * *

Lily knew the boys were going to the Leaky, so the girls decided to head to one of the other three pubs situated in Diagon Alley. It was a small, but lively place, an Irish pub with live music on the weekends.

A while later, Lily and Hermione were sitting at the bar, waiting for their drinks as Alice and Mary were listening to the band play, swaying to the music and giggling incessantly.

"Is there something going on between you and Sirius?" Lily asked suddenly as she leaned against the counter, eyeing her friend carefully.

Hermione blinked at her friend, and then shook her head. "No…I don't think so…" She muttered, and Lily's brows shot up with disbelief. Their drinks arrived.

Hermione sighed and took a sip of her Butterbeer. "I think it would be best if we just stayed friends, you know?"

Lily nodded absently. "Regulus."

"Well, no, not exactly, I mean, obviously he is one of the reasons…"

Lily shook her head. "No, Regulus is here. With Sev," she said, staring across the pub, an anxious look on her face. Hermione whirled around to look at the direction where Lily's eyes were aimed, and she saw the two of them sitting in a booth, glancing at their direction. Regulus's eyes were instantly locked into hers, his gaze so intense that her mouth went dry and her heart started beating faster. The heat in the pub was starting to feel overwhelming, and the air was becoming thicker. Her head started to spin, making it hard for her to breathe properly.

Hermione turned back to Lily and swallowed hard. "I need some air. I'll be right back," Hermione muttered and stood up.

Lily frowned at her, gnawing her lip worriedly. "Is everything okay? Do you want me to come with you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, just…stay here, I'll be right back."

After Lily gave her apprehensive nod, Hermione walked out from the back of the pub, to the narrow alleyway.

Leaning against the brick wall, she took deep breaths. Hermione knew she had to meet him eventually, being his contact and all, but she hadn't had the time to prepare for it, like she thought she should have. She heard the door open, and knew he was there, that he would follow her. Was that the reason she had come outside? Did she want him to follow her? She didn't even know the answer to that.

"You okay?" Regulus asked, leaning against the wall, facing her.

Hermione sighed and turned to him. "Yes," she said wearily, chewing the inside of her cheek.

It was odd to see him in his normal attire and not in school or dress robes. Although even his normal robes were pristine, and made of the finest fabrics; black, of course. His hair was perfectly trimmed, every strand in place. He was staring at her in a way that made her heart flutter inside her chest.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but faltered when Regulus took a couple of steps closer, leaning towards her. Her breath hitched as she pressed herself against the wall, trying not to flinch as she held his piercing stare. He was so close that she could feel the warmth of his body radiating towards her, so close she could smell his scent. It was torture. She didn't know which was worse; the fact that she wanted nothing more than to grab him and hold onto him or knowing that she should go and be as far away from him as possible. Because in the end nothing had changed. He was still a Death Eater and a spy.

Regulus leaned even closer, his lips hovering against her neck, and she swallowed hard, glued to the place.

"There's a meeting next week. He is planning another raid against the Order," he whispered to her ear, and even though she knew what he'd said was important, and terrible news, she could not help but only think of his lips as he pulled back.

Hermione let out the breath she had been holding in. She could feel her cheeks warming as he stood in front of her, his mouth curving a bit as he watched her.

"Why didn't you just cast a silencing charm around us?" She asked, feeling a bit flustered from his behaviour.

A ghost of a smirk curved his lips. "I did," he said quietly, a wistful look in his eyes.

Hermione huffed and looked away. "I have to go."

He became solemn and nodded to her, standing in place and waiting for her to leave.

She took a couple of steps towards the pub before she stopped and turned to look at him. "Should we…We should meet, after your meeting, right?" She asked hesitantly, worrying her lip.

Regulus cleared his throat, his expression unreadable again. "Yeah. I'll be in touch."

Hermione nodded and slipped inside the pub again, and went to search for her friends.

Out of his pocket, Regulus took the watch Hermione had given him for his birthday and gave a resentful look at the red arrow that pointed towards the back door of the pub.

* * *

 **July 15th 1978 (Saturday)**

"Up, up, up! Come on, girls! No more time to sleep." Lily yelled as she ran up the stairs, opening the door to Hermione's room with a bang.

Mary and Alice both grumbled something incoherent and tried in vain to hold on to their comforters – Lily summoned those away. The girls had stayed over at Hermione's, and while Mary and Alice had slept in Hermione's room, Hermione and Lily had slept in the sitting room downstairs. After Lily and Hermione had woken up, Lily had gone for her morning jog – something she had recently started doing, while Hermione had prepared them breakfast.

"We have lots to do!" Lily continued brightly.

"Can't we just fucking sleep a while longer…" Mary groaned and moved her pillow over her head when Lily flicked her wand to open the curtains to let the light in.

"Well, if you hadn't insisted opening the second _or the third_ bottle of wine last night, maybe you too would be up and running by now," Lily scolded her. "I'll hit the shower now, ladies, and I expect you to be at least eating your breakfast the time I come back!"

Alice yawned and stood up, mumbling her good mornings as she walked downstairs, leaving Mary in the bedroom, groaning as she tried to find her wand in order to summon some sober up potion.

* * *

A few hours later the girls were all woken up, finished with their breakfast and showers and preparing to get ready for the wedding. Alice was rushing around the sitting room as she searched for something. "Shite! It's not here," She cried.

"What's wrong?" Mary asked with a calm voice, trying to prevent everyone, especially Alice, from freaking out. It was her job as a maid of honour, after all.

"My tiara! No, I mean Frank's _mother's_ diamond tiara! It's missing! She'll murder me if I'm not wearing it," Alice cried helplessly.

Lily, Hermione and Mary all cringed, knowing fully well the temper of Frank's mother, and how the woman would react if Alice had managed to lose something that valuable. The girls started to look around the sitting room in panic, before Mary took her wand out, reminding everyone that they were all witches. Hermione, Alice and Lily exchanged embarrassed looks.

"I'll summon it, and you just sit down and have a drink, okay?" Mary said to Alice, nodding to Lily who was in charge of the mimosas.

Alice sighed in relief as Mary summoned the tiara, which came soaring from under the couch. She went to the kitchen, where Lily was preparing a drink for her.

"We do have more sober up, right?" Lily asked, arching a brow at Hermione when she saw Alice down the whole drink in one gulp.

Hermione frowned, and quickly racked her brains. "Well, no. Mary had the last vial. Maybe we can floo Sirius, I'm sure he has some..." Hermione muttered absently as she went back to the sitting room, where Mary was adding finishing touches to her makeup and hair. Alice was otherwise ready, only the tiara missing from her ensemble, which she was now adjusting in front of a mirror.

"Lils, will you check we have everything we need to take with us? I'll floo to Sirius's to grab some sober up and check that the boys are ready, okay?" Hermione asked and Lily nodded, already on it as she started to grab the essential items and pack them into a small bag, charmed with an Undetectable Extension Charm.

The boys and Frank had been spending the night at Sirius's place before the big day. The others had of course already known Frank because he too had attended Hogwarts, and he was only a year older than everyone else. Apparently, the guys had been spending a lot of time together before Frank had left Hogwarts, and now they were reunited once again. Frank had even asked James to be his best man, as his original best man had suffered a spell damage and wasn't able to attend to the wedding. As Hermione stepped into the fireplace, she briefly wondered if the guys were on schedule.

After reaching Sirius's apartment, she walked into the reception room and found Peter snoring on the floor, sprawled, face down to the carpet, and an empty bottle of Firewhiskey lying next to him.

 _Apparently not._

"Oh Godric…" She whispered in dread as she headed towards the hallway to find the others.

Hermione walked up the stairs to the first floor where she knew the joint sitting room and library was. Frank and – for some odd reason, Mark, the best arse in Hogwarts – were snoring on the couches in the sitting room, the place reeking of alcohol. "Oh my god…no, no, no…" Hermione breathed. She cursed inwardly, thanking the gods that she had come over.

"Frank!" Hermione hissed and rushed towards him, giving him a hard shove as she reached the couch he was lying on.

Frank howled in surprise, his eyes snapping open. He scampered quickly to a sitting position and searched for his wand, only relaxing when he realised it was her.

"Bloody fuck, Hermione! You gave me a fright!" He grumbled, shoving a hand through his tousled hair.

"Well…Good!" Hermione stammered, her voice rising. "The wedding, _your_ wedding, might I add, is starting in an hour!" Hermione screeched.

Mark groaned on the next couch while Frank flinched and jumped up in panic, dashing towards the bathroom upstairs, cursing loudly as he went.

"Hey, Hermione," Mark mumbled as he peered at her under heavy lids. "You're looking fit," he said, eyeing her appreciatively as he stretched on the couch.

Hermione arched a brow at him, not even bothering to give him an answer, and glanced around her. There were many empty Butterbeer and Firewhiskey bottles scattered around the sitting room. The boys obviously had had a long night. She sighed and left the sitting room, heading towards the second floor to search the others.

The second floor was empty, except for Frank, who was making noise in the bathroom. Hermione walked briskly to the third floor where she knew Sirius's bedroom was, and didn't even bother knocking on the door, since she reckoned Sirius was also passed out, and wouldn't probably even hear the sound.

"Sirius, wake up! The wedding is – "

The words died in her throat and she only let out a small whimper as she slammed her hands to cover her eyes.

Sirius sniggered. "You know, you really ought to knock first. I might've been indecent," he said with an amused voice.

He was standing in the middle of his bedroom, clad in nothing, and considering Hermione had seen his wet hair plastered against his neck and shoulders before she had covered her vision, she reckoned he was probably coming from the bathroom that was next to his bedroom.

She swallowed and turned quickly around. "I…um…sorry." She squeaked and darted to the hallway, slamming the door behind her. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment as she walked down the stairs towards the basement, Sirius's laugh echoing behind her.

As she reached the kitchen, which was situated in the basement, Hermione found James, fully dressed and looking fresh, eating breakfast. He smirked at Hermione but said nothing when she sent a glare at his direction.

"Do you have some sober up?" She asked from him with a hopeful look. She had to get to her place as soon as possible.

James shrugged. "Dunno. Hey mate, do we have sober up?" James asked from Frank, who emerged to the kitchen, wearing t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair wet from the shower. Frank shrugged and took the cup of coffee James was offering him.

Sirius walked in moments after, a towel hanging low on his hips. Hermione's eyes travelled down his body, and she looked away as soon as she realised that she had been ogling at him.

The raven-haired Marauder bit back a grin as he grabbed a bottle of green potion from the cupboard and handed it to her silently.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered, taking the bottle. "Are you going to be there on time?" She asked from the boys.

"Yeah, of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world," James said with a reassuring smile as Frank was busy chewing his toast.

He swallowed it down with a sip of coffee. "Hey, is everything okay? With Allie?" Frank asked with a hint of worry.

Hermione gave him a warm smile. "Everything is fine."

Frank visibly relaxed and nodded.

"Well, I'll see you guys there then," Hermione said and left the kitchen. She could hear Sirius and James sniggering as she walked upstairs towards the floo, evidently laughing at her expense.

* * *

The wedding location; an old Mill with a beautiful riverside scene, was already swarming with guests as the groom and his friends arrived. The girls had arrived timely, before any guests, making sure everything was in place. While Mary and Hermione made sure Alice had everything she needed, Lily went to check on the boys in the room across the hallway. The guests were taking their places in the reception hall, and the ceremony was about to start soon.

James let his girlfriend in, and Lily pursed her lips as she eyed the boys with a stern look in her eyes.

"I sure hope it was worth it." She said, still annoyed by their recklessness. James, Peter and Frank cringed while Sirius merely smirked at her.

"Well, actually—"

"Not the time, Sirius!" Lily nearly shrieked at him.

Sirius merely laughed at her, placed his hand around her shoulders and squeezed her close to him. "Lils, always a pleasure to wind you up," He said and winked at her.

Lily huffed and shook his hand away. "You boys ready?" She asked, eyeing them expectantly.

Frank gave her a nervous nod, and James clapped him on the shoulder before they left the room to take their places near the altar. Lily and Hermione walked with Sirius and Peter to take their places as well. The reception hall was decorated in gold and white, with white draping on the ceiling and walls, and several rows of golden chairs facing the white altar.

After everyone was situated and the ceremony started, Mary walked to the front, where Frank was waiting with James, looking a bit panicky. Mary took her place opposite to James, and then Alice was there, walking slowly towards the altar. Frank was staring at his future wife in wonder and complete adoration, all the nervousness gone.

The ceremony was delicate and sweet, and so were their vows to one another. When the ceremony was over, the altar was vanished and, in its place, came a platform where the band started to play. Everyone stood up and the chairs moved towards the many small, round white tables that had appeared to the back of the hall. Buffet tables appeared on the sides of the room, while the front-half of the hall remained empty for dancing.

An hour and a half later the dinner was wrapping up and most of the people were on the dancefloor, or mingling along each other beneath the enormous chandeliers that lit up the room.

Hermione was sitting at a table, alone, watching as Alice and Frank were wrapped around each other, staring lovingly to one another as they swayed to the music. Lily was dancing with James, both wearing similar expressions than the now married couple. Hermione briefly wondered when they were going to get married and what would Harry say if he knew she most likely was going to be attending to his parents wedding. Shaking her head at her thoughts, she turned her focus to look for her other friends.

Sirius was dancing with Mary, both of them laughing at something so hard they were shaking, and Peter was sitting with some bloke at one table, their heads drawn together as they were talking quietly to each other. Hermione eyed them suspiciously for a while, and didn't notice when Sirius sat down next to her.

"I reckon they're seeing each other," Sirius murmured close to her ear. Hermione jumped, and turned to look at the raven-haired man next to her.

She frowned. "Why do you say that?" She asked in confusion. Was Peter gay? Well, of course it didn't matter, but she was only surprised because she had heard him talk only about girls.

Sirius shrugged. "He's been busy lately, and I've run into them a couple of times at Diagon. And they weren't exactly keeping their distance…" He said, lifting his eyebrows knowingly.

"Oh," Hermione absently. It could be that, or was there something else Peter was keeping from his friends… "Who is he?" She asked quietly.

"Jason something. He's apparently apprenticing the same Runic-shite Pete is," Sirius said and took a swig of his Butterbeer.

Hermione lifted her brows at him. " _Runic-shite_?" She asked dryly, shaking her head when Sirius shrugged sheepishly. "And where's your usual glass of Firewhiskey?" She asked, eyeing the Butterbeer he placed on the table.

"Well, I chose to be on the safe side. Apparently, my excessive drinking can attract improper and crazy witches to come on to me," He said matter-of-factly, and Hermione flushed deep red.

"I was not coming on to you!" She hissed. Sirius grinned at her mischievously, and Hermione slapped him on the arm.

"Ouch, kitten." He said and laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy the view though," he murmured, waggling his brows.

"Merlin…Do you have to be like that?" She groaned exasperatedly.

Sirius chuckled. "Like what? I can't help it, kitten. God made me look like this for a reason," He said with a teasing grin.

Hermione arched a brow. "Oh? And what is the reason?" She asked wryly.

"Well, that's for me to know, and for you to enjoy," He said and winked at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and groaned. "I'm leaving," she said, and left towards the drinks table, while Sirius stayed behind, sniggering quietly.

* * *

Later on, Hermione and Mary were sitting with Lily at a table, as James and Sirius were on the dance floor, swaying to a slow song and holding each other tightly. Hermione reckoned that even though they were obviously doing so to entertain everyone, they both probably enjoyed themselves. After all, they were best friends and inseparable.

"I met Sev," Lily said suddenly.

Hermione and Mary whirled to look at her.

"What? When?" Mary asked urgently, glancing around them as in to check no one heard them. Hermione and Lily had explained to Mary and Alice that Voldemort had requested him to join to his forces, but none of them knew whether he'd actually done it.

Lily sighed. "After I saw him in the pub at Diagon last weekend." She explained. "He took the mark," she said, frowning at her friends. Mary gasped.

Hermione wasn't surprised. She knew he was expected to be marked when Regulus was, and she knew he would take it, regardless of what he thought about switching sides. Hermione knew he wasn't going to openly turn his back to Voldemort.

"But he doesn't want it, right?" Hermione asked quietly, glancing at Mary, who frowned at her.

Lily gave a small nod. "I think so. He wants to be on our side," she said, levelling her friends with a confused look.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "Has he talked with Dumbledore?" She asked softly.

"Yes, and apparently they have reached some sort of understanding. He said he couldn't tell me about it though…" Lily muttered, frowning at Hermione.

Hermione bit her lip. Perhaps Snape had a similar agreement with Dumbledore than Regulus had… She couldn't say anything about it to the girls, since it was dangerous. They didn't know about Regulus's involvement in anything, and it was better that way.

Mary stared at them with her eyes widened with alarm "Fuck. Is he a.. _spy_?" She whispered. "That's dangerous. In so many ways…" She continued.

"I know…" Hermione said thoughtfully, while Lily continued to look worried.

* * *

 **July 27th 1978 (Thursday)**

It was almost the end of July and over a month had passed since her graduation. It seemed so far away now. After the Longbottom wedding, the newlyweds had left to their honeymoon, and they would be coming back just in time to attend to the upcoming Order meeting that was scheduled for next Sunday. Hermione hadn't really seen any of her friends after the wedding, as she had been a bit obsessed with a personal project of hers.

On Thursday morning, Hermione knocked on the closed door of the Hog's Head before flicking her wand to dismantle the wards and entering. She had been working at the pub every day during the lunch time since her graduation, but she usually came in much later.

"Ab?" She called, her voice too high.

Aberforth walked downstairs, wearing a dressing gown over his night robes and a wand in his hand.

"Hermione?" He grunted, frowning at her. "What's wrong? Why are you here so early?" He asked, a hint of alarm seeping into his voice as he blinked the sleep away.

It was early, but she had thought that he would be already awake. She hadn't slept a bit during the night, and had merely waited the morning to come. Hermione bit her lip. "Were you sleeping? I'm sorry. Go back to sleep," she mumbled quickly, but before she could continue, he waved his hand.

"No worries. Come up, I'll make us breakfast." He grumbled and walked upstairs.

Hermione followed him to the familiar kitchen and sat down as he put the kettle on.

"So…what's going on?" He asked as he sat down opposite of her, staring at her with his bright blue eyes.

Hermione sighed. "Um…I haven't been quite honest about something…" She said slowly.

Aberforth gave her a quizzical look. "Oh?"

"I…um…I've been tracking down my parents." She said quietly, frowning at the table.

When he didn't reply, she snuck a glance at him. Aberforth was eyeing her thoughtfully. "And?" He asked hesitantly.

"They, um…I found them." She said and swallowed deeply. Ab pushed a cup of tea in front of her, and she took it gratefully, glad that she had something to do with her hands. They were both quiet for a while.

During the past two weeks, Hermione had tried to find her parents. It had been a difficult job, since as it turned out, they didn't live where she had thought they would, and her mother even had a different last name.

"What happened?" He asked softly, breaking the silence.

Hermione took in a deep breath before she spoke. "They don't even know each other." She whispered, choking back a sob. Ab frowned.

"They…They have families already. Children." Hermione said, her voice wavering. She stared at the table as her eyes filled with tears. "And I'm not one of them," she said with a gasp, shaking thoroughly. Ab stood up, came to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She buried her face against him, and cried silently while he patted her back.

"I'm sorry 'Mione…" He said quietly.

After they broke off the hug, Ab proceeded to make them breakfast, and Hermione stared at the table with an empty look in her eyes. After she had found out about her parents, she had spent the whole night crying and staring at the fireplace, praying she'd had someone she could've cried her heart out to. But there really wasn't anyone, besides Dumbledore and Aberforth, and she wasn't going to interrupt them in the middle of the night. The only other people who knew where she'd come from were Gideon and Fabian, who were in a mission, and Regulus, who was…well, it was too dangerous to contact him, since she didn't know if he was with his new master or not.

"What does that even mean?" She muttered eventually, after they had both eaten.

Ab sighed. "It seems that my brother was correct," he said slowly, eyeing her carefully.

Hermione bit her lip and blinked away the tears that were threatening to come again. "I don't even know what to do now… Do I just continue my life? Is everything I knew lost for ever?"

"I don't know, Hermione… You should…you should talk with Albus," He muttered, eyeing her sorrowfully.

* * *

 **July 30th 1978 (Sunday)**

Lily and James had invited everyone to Godric's Hollow the night before, as they finally had everything in place in their new home. Alice and Frank had returned from their honeymoon earlier that day, so everyone but Remus was there. Their group had stayed up well past midnight, catching up and talking about the upcoming Order meeting.

On Sunday afternoon they met at the Hog's Head again, which was closed to other patrons. Hermione and her friends all sat at the back of the pub, in a couple of round tables, listening to Dumbledore who was standing in front of the bar, facing everyone and talking about a raid the Death Eaters had been planning. Regulus had sent some details about the raid to Hermione through the charmed galleon a week before, and Hermione had passed the information on to Dumbledore.

Everything went peacefully until Dumbledore introduced them their new member. Snape. Dumbledore explained to everyone that Snape had taken the mark – which caused some gasping and shocked expressions throughout the participants – and that he was working as a spy to help them to stop Voldemort. As the meeting went on, and Dumbledore and the other members were focused on Alastor Moody's description about werewolf gatherings and Voldemort's affiliation with the northern pack, Snape, who was also sitting at the back of the pub, was having a staring contest with Sirius and James. Hermione, Lily, Alice and Mary all eyed the boys with unease, expecting something bad to happen. And it did. Hermione saw the black-haired Slytherin mouth something to the two Marauders which caused them both to shoot up from their places and lunge towards Snape with their fists swinging.

Some spells were fired and the boys were quickly separated, each to a different table and in different corners of the pub. Lily was red with embarrassment, so angry that she couldn't even look at James, Sirius, or even at Snape, who was staring ahead of the pub with a his mouth curved a bit as he sat with Alice's and Franks parents. James sat in a table with his parents, Alice and Frank on the other side of the room, while Sirius was situated with Hermione, Lily, Mary and Peter.

"What were you thinking?" Hermione hissed to Sirius after they'd sat in silence for a while and listened to Moody, who was now explaining some security measurements they were introducing at the Ministry.

Sirius scowled at her. "Don't ask." He grumbled and turned to stare at Moody.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation. This wasn't going to be easy.

After the meeting, James and Sirius both received a good scolding from Mrs. Potter, while her husband eyed the boys with a hint of amusement in his hazel eyes.

"Don't ever let me see that kind of behaviour from either one of you again!" Mrs. Potter hissed with a stern look in her eyes. "And in front of the ladies, for that matter," she continued, glancing at Lily and Hermione, who were lingering near them. Lily was waiting for James, even though she was disappointed with his behaviour, and Hermione was waiting for everyone to leave, as Dumbledore had asked to have a word with her after the meeting.

"Yes mum…" Both James and Sirius mumbled sheepishly.

* * *

After everyone had left, Dumbledore, Aberforth and Hermione retreated to the sitting room upstairs.

"I understand you have some news regarding your parents?" Dumbledore asked kindly as they sat down in front of the fireplace on the comfortable couch and armchairs.

Hermione worried her lip and stared at the bookshelf behind Dumbledore, compiling her thoughts.

"Um…Yes. I found them." She muttered, glancing at her previous Headmaster.

"Oh? I wasn't in the understanding that you were searching for them," Dumbledore merely said, eyeing her over his half-moon spectacles. He was wearing his light blue robes again, the same colour as his eyes.

Hermione sighed. "I had to know. I had to know if I existed in here. Or if I will exist," she said and gave him a vulnerable look.

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "And?" he asked, giving a sideways glance at his brother. Aberforth said nothing, but only eyed the pair with an unreadable expression.

Hermione took a deep breath. "They are not together, my parents," Hermione said, clenching her jaw. The mixed feelings of betrayal and sorrow were threatening to rise inside her. "They have families already," she continued weakly.

Dumbledore frowned and gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry, Hermione." He said consolingly, the twinkle in his eyes missing. Hermione took a shuddering breath and waited for him to continue.

"I believe this is a significant, albeit horrendous confirmation for your presence in a alternate timeline," Dumbledore said softly. And even though they had gone this over already, several times throughout the past year in fact, the words still stung. The truth still hurt.

Hermione swallowed back a sob. "W-What now? Do I just give up? Continue living my life in here and forget everyone and everything I knew before I came here?" She asked quietly, her voice wavering as she tried to swallow the lump from her throat. Even though she had accepted this new life, and accepted the fact that there was a slim to no chance for her to return to her old life anymore, it still caused pain. It still burned. She still grieved the loss of her old life, even though if the opportunity would present itself, she wasn't sure if she would want to return anymore.

Dumbledore gave her a pitiful look. "Someone wise once said, that one of the hardest things you will ever have to do, my dear, is to grieve the loss of a person who is still alive," he said softly.

She broke down in tears.


	35. Many returns

**A/N:** Whaaat? Another chapter within a week? My beta's on holiday and still working like a house-elf, so...everyone send your love to her! ;)

Happy reading, folks!

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Many returns**

 **August 25th 1978 (Friday)**

"Name the healing properties of dragon blood."

Hermione was startled, but not as much as she had been when she had first started working with Viridian. He would quiz her occasionally about her knowledge regarding potions and potion ingredients while they were working. Sometimes the questions had nothing to do with her current task, and other times he inquired how the potion she was brewing would change if she added a certain ingredient or cast a certain spell on it. It was challenging to work with him. And she loved every minute of it.

They were both occupied with their own brews, sitting behind their desks in one of the company's research labs. The room was spacious, with only two workstations, and even though the potions labs were situated in the basement of the building, the rooms were brightly lit, unlike the dungeons at Hogwarts. The walls in their lab were full of shelves, which held a vast collection of cauldrons, scales and phials of different kind. There was also a large storage room for potion ingredients down the hall, where Hermione had come across several rare and dangerous items.

"Um…It can be used externally to promote healing and to stop bleeding. Internally, it can be used for chest pains and internal traumas," she recited almost word to word from _The Book of Potions and Poisons_ Viridian had made her read after her first day. Even though they weren't making any poisons at their research lab, Viridian expected her to know about the different attributes and ingredients.

Viridian merely hummed in response, not taking his eyes off of his cauldron. Hermione smiled and focused on her work. At first, she had been a bit baffled by his behaviour, but she quickly learned that he wasn't the praising kind of teacher. A couple of weeks later, she had learned to recognise when he was satisfied with her work and answers.

St Mungo's mental ward had made an order to Viridian's company for an advanced healing potion to treat mental illness and they were now researching the possibilities to use dragon blood in said potion. Hermione was thrilled to work in such a project, but of course knew they wouldn't always be working with such brilliant and idealistic projects that could possibly change someone's life to better. They were developing the potions according to their customers' needs, after all.

Viridian had several teams working with different customers and their projects, and he himself was focusing on the advanced healing potion with Hermione's help. It was a lengthy project, since all the phases would take several months each.

When it was nearing five in the afternoon, Hermione cast a stasis charm to her cauldron and cleaned up her table. She said her goodbyes to Viridian, who waved her in reply, still engrossed with his brew.

Hermione apparated to an alley in Dulwich Village, and went grocery shopping before heading home. The past month had gone quickly. The Order had intervened a Death Eater raid in the beginning of August, but not without casualties. Alice's parents had been killed, as well as Benjy Fenwick; a wizard who was only a couple of years older than Hermione and her friends.

It was another set of deaths she wasn't able to prevent. Hermione had known about Fenwick, but still hadn't managed to change his fate. The only thing she truly had managed to change were Gideon's and Fabian's deaths, apparently. And now she wasn't so sure she had truly prevented them. She knew that in her own time, they had died some time later than the attack that had happened in this time. What if there was another attack waiting around the corner? What if she wasn't able to save anyone? What if she was condemned to watch all of her friends to die? After finding out about her parents, Hermione knew that nothing was certain in this world.

Needless to say, she had been upset and downbeat and she didn't want to think what she would have done if she hadn't been working seven days a week. Viridian kept her quite busy on the weekdays, and Hog's Head during weekends. She hadn't even had the time to properly grieve the news of her parents and the fact that her old life was lost to her forever. It was only now settling in.

Hermione really had no one she could talk to, as the only people who knew about her coming from another time were otherwise occupied. Of course Ab and Dumbledore knew, and were there, but she thought that it just felt a bit awkward to talk about her feelings to them. Hermione hadn't felt this alone in a long time.

As she entered her apartment, she instantly knew something was wrong. Silently she slipped her wand out from her pocket and took a couple of cautious steps towards the sitting room. Her shoulders sagged with relief when she saw two familiar raven-haired boys lounging on her couch. Irritation took place quickly.

"Haven't I told you guys to let me know if you want to come over to watch the telly?" Hermione asked with a weary sigh as she headed towards the kitchen to put away the groceries. None of her friends had a television in their homes since all of them lived in wizarding buildings. They would occasionally pop by to watch the TV, and most of them asked Hermione if it was okay to come – not Sirius and James though.

The boys mumbled their apologies and she saw them exchange a meaningful look before Sirius stood up and approached the kitchen.

"Do you want us to leave?" He asked hesitantly as she started to prepare food.

Hermione sighed. "No. Stay," she said, her voice softer now, managing a small smile.

"Okay. Can I help?" He asked and leaned against the counter, watching her intently.

"Sure. Are you guys hungry?" She asked and looked from Sirius to James.

"I'm good, thanks." James said as he stood up from the couch and stretched. "I actually have to head off, Lily's getting home from work…" He muttered. "I'll see you both on Sunday," He said and disapparated with an echoing pop.

Sirius eyed his friend's departure with an amused look before he turned back to Hermione. "I'm famished." He said with an innocent shrug.

They worked in silence for a while, preparing the food and setting the table.

"How're you doing?" Sirius asked lightly as he took the muggle beer Hermione offered him. At first, he had called the drink appalling, tasting like dog piss, but after trying it a couple of times, he had stated that it was fairly enjoyable, and reckoned that it would do for the lack of Butterbeer.

Hermione shrugged. "Okay, I guess…Just busy with the apprenticeship," she muttered evasively, taking a sip from her own beer.

They stared at each other for a moment, both leaning against the counter. Sirius gave her a doubtful look. "You're avoiding everyone," He merely said, watching her reaction.

Hermione let out a small huff of annoyance. "How can I avoid everyone, if one of you is always occupying my sitting room when I return from work?" She asked with a quizzical brow, her voice a bit sharp.

Sirius chuckled before he gave her an apologetic smile. "I guess we're just worried about you, kitten." He said softly.

"Why?" Hermione asked exasperatedly. "My parents didn't die in the raid. Or my friend," she said quietly. She tried to push the thoughts of her parents and her friends away, to lock them somewhere deep in the corner of her mind.

"That doesn't mean you can't be sad about what happened. Is that it? You're upset about the raid?" He asked carefully, soothing his hand down her arm.

Hermione shivered at his touch and worried her lip. "What if…What if it's one of us the next time?" She asked with a small voice, giving him a helpless look.

Sirius let out a deep sigh. "Yeah," He merely said, his eyes looking somewhere far away.

"I just…I can't stand the thought of losing any more people I care about…" She said quietly, her voice wavering a bit. She had lost everyone in her old life, and now she knew that she wasn't going to see them anymore.

Sirius frowned and eyed her thoughtfully. "Come here," he said and pulled her into a warm hug. Hermione breathed in his soothing scent and tried to gather her thoughts.

They ate together and soon the atmosphere was a bit more cheerful than it had been. Somehow Sirius had the ability to make everyone see the bright side of things, to make everyone laugh, and she reckoned a lot of this trait had probably disappeared during his imprisonment in her original timeline. She remembered the old Sirius, and how there had been glimpses of his younger version every now and then – when he wasn't brooding and obsessing about his past. What if that was another thing she wasn't able to prevent from happening?

After Sirius left, Hermione lay down on her couch and absently watched the television, her mind somewhere else.

* * *

 **August 26th 1978 (Saturday)**

She woke up with a stiff neck and the sound of the doorbell. Groaning, Hermione stood up from the couch, blinking as the rays of sun hit her eyes. It was morning, and she had slept through the night on her couch. _Great…_ She thought and headed towards the hallway. She opened the door, and her brows lift up in surprise. It was Gideon.

The man let out a small chuckle as he took in her rumpled appearance. "Rough night?" He asked and grinned at her, giving her a once over.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?" She asked, still a bit taken aback by his sudden presence.

"Well, I wanted to floo-call you, but for some reason, I still haven't got your address," He said and gave her a pointed look. "Had to ask Sirius," Gideon continued, a smirk playing on his lips. "Gonna invite me in?"

Hermione blinked. "Yes, of course. Come on in," she stammered, smiling at him.

Gideon arched a brow at her. "What? No security questions? You know, as your previous professor, I am a bit disappointed in you," he said with an amused look, trying to look stern.

Hermione shook her head and gave him a wry look. "Well, okay…What prank did Fabian pull on you on the Easter Holidays in your third year?" She asked with a challenge in her voice.

Gideon cursed under his breath. "He grew me a tail. You really need to stop listening to my brother and his mental stories," He grumbled.

Hermione laughed heartily. "Happy?" She asked, feigning innocence as she stepped aside to let him inside.

Gideon narrowed his eyes at her as he walked in. His look softened quickly as he took in his surroundings.

"Nice place," he said as they walked into the sitting room. "Is Remus back yet?" He asked and sat down on the couch. Hermione had told him that Remus was spending the summer in Germany in a clinical trial to test the Wolfsbane potion. As his old professor, Gideon of course knew Remus was a werewolf.

"Thanks. Um…no, he's still in Germany. Although he did owl me earlier this week and wrote that he's coming home at the end of September. Tea?" She asked as she made herself busy in the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure." Gideon nodded and studied her as she flicked her wand over the stove and moments after levitated a tray with a teapot and two cups towards the sitting room.

"You okay?" He asked carefully as Hermione sipped her tea and stared ahead with a blank look.

She shrugged. "Not really…" She said slowly, chewing her lip.

"I figured…the raid?" Gideon said quietly and Hermione nodded stiffly. "You know, Benjy was my friend…" He muttered, frowning at his teacup.

Hermione turned to stare at him in surprise and swallowed deeply. She felt even worse than before. She hadn't managed to save him, even though she knew about his fate.

Gideon glanced at Hermione and seemed to know what she was thinking about. "I don't blame you, Hermione. You told us everything you knew. We should've prevented it. _The Order_ should've prevented it," He said with a sincere look and sighed wearily. "I should've been there." He said softly, regret in his voice.

Hermione put her teacup on the table and took his hand between hers. "Even if you'd been there, that doesn't mean things would've been different. And it's not like you were on a holiday…" She said quietly. Gideon and Fabian had been searching for the Diadem, after all.

Gideon gave her a small smile and watched her intently. "There's something else bothering you as well…"

She lifted her brows in bewilderment.

"I know you found out about your parents. After we came back yesterday, my brother and I had a chat with Dumbledore. He mentioned that you'd found them," he said with a sad smile.

Hermione tried to swallow the lump from her throat and not succumb to the tears that had started to burn in her eyes. She let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, I found them…" She whispered.

"How bad is it?" He asked gently, his eyes moving over her face.

Hermione took in a deep breath. "They have completely different lives in here…With different people." She muttered and worried her lip. "I, um…I'm not going back. I can't go back. The life I knew is lost to me. Forever," She said weakly and blinked rapidly to clear her vision.

Gideon put his teacup on the table and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Hermione." He murmured to her ear.

Hermione choked back a sob. "I'm sorry, too, Gideon. I'm sorry for your loss."

After they pulled away from each other, Gideon cleared his throat and gave her a determined look. "I know we haven't really talked about your old life, or the possibilities of your return to it, but…You know, while I am sorry for you, I can't help but feel a bit relieved that you're not going back." He said with a small grimace, and Hermione gave him a puzzled look.

"I know it's selfish, but I can't really imagine a life without my friend." He said with an earnest look in his eyes.

Hermione felt her lips curve up in a smile, and then became serious. "I can't really imagine leaving this place. Not anymore. But at the same time, I'm heartbroken that I've lost everyone I knew. My family. My loved ones." She said, her voice wavering.

Gideon studied her eyes for a short moment, before he spoke. "I understand," he finally said with a sympathetic look. "And I'm here for you." He said softly, squeezing her hand.

Hermione swallowed and nodded. "Thank you."

"What was it like?" Gideon asked after a short silence. "Being friends with James's and Lily's son? And my nephew?" He continued, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

Hermione contemplated her answer before clearing her throat. "It was…wonderful…And terrible. Now that I think of it, all we ever did was fight against Voldemort. Of course, there were moments when we were able to be normal teenagers and enjoy life, but those were just that. Moments." She said with a wistful sigh. "I still wouldn't change a single day though…" She said quietly, and Gideon gave her a kind smile.

"Well, except perhaps the time I accidentally turned myself into a cat…" She muttered in an afterthought.

Gideon burst in laughter. "You what?"

She sighed. "Well…we were sort of spying on one of our classmates. A Slytherin boy." She explained and Gideon snorted before she continued. "I produced Polyjuice Potion so that we could sneak in to their common room, disguised as his housemates." She said and Gideon shook his head in amusement.

"Of course you did," He said, shaking his head in a mix of amusement and disbelief. "And what if the persons you were disguising into would've seen you?" He asked with his lips tugging upwards.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek as she thought back to the events that had occurred on their second year. "Well, one of them, a girl I was supposed to turn into, was actually away for the holidays, and the two boys Harry and Ron were going to impersonate…well, we slipped them some sleeping draught," She said, cringing a bit at the unnaturally high pitch of her voice.

Gideon watched her mischievously. "Brewing banned potions, spying on and drugging your classmates…That's something I _never_ would've imagined you doing," He said and laughed.

Hermione blushed. "It's not like we did it just for fun. The Chamber of Secrets had been opened and a Basilisk was on the loose…We thought that the boy had some information about the events…" She muttered defensively.

Gideon gave her a nudge. "I'm just taking the piss. I actually quite admire the rebel-you," he said and winked at her. "So, why were you turned into a cat?" He continued with an amused look. "Was there something wrong with the potion?"

Hermione sniffed. "The potion was perfect," she said and saw Gideon biting back a grin.

"It's just that…the hair I thought was from the girl was actually from her cat…" She said and winced at the memory. The transformation had not been pleasant at all.

Gideon grinned. "I wish I'd been there," he said with laughter in his voice.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "It's not that funny," she said stubbornly.

"Yes, it is." Gideon chuckled.

She huffed with irritation but eventually cracked a smile. "Well…perhaps it is a bit funny now."

He smirked at her. "I'm glad you agree."

"By the way, you're _not_ telling Fabian about this." Hermione said with a warning in her voice.

Gideon merely shrugged. "I make no promises," he said mischievously.

Hermione gritted her teeth and sighed inwardly. But her thoughts were soon shifted to other, more pressing matters.

"Oh! I forgot to ask, how was the trip? Did you find it?" She asked, feeling anxious.

Gideon's smile dropped and he gave her a disappointed look before shook his head. "No, we didn't." He said and threaded a hand through his hair. "We searched everywhere. I think we actually looked into every tree that ever grew on that country." He said with a dry laugh.

"So…there weren't any leads? Did you see anyone there?" She asked and watched him with a worried look.

"We didn't see any Death Eaters, and I reckon there never were any of _his_ followers on guard." Gideon said, and then his frown deepened. "He probably has it somewhere else. We did find a clearing in the woods, which certainly had been contaminated with dark magic. Later on, when we asked around at the village nearby, we found out that one of the villagers went missing in the late forties, and his body was found a couple of months later. For what we gathered, he had been hit with the Killing Curse," He explained sullenly.

Hermione nodded slowly as she chewed her lip. "So…he made the Horcrux there, but hid it somewhere else…" She muttered thoughtfully.

"It seems like that, yeah." Gideon said.

Hermione frowned at him. "What now?"

He sighed. "Well, I am actually here to inform you about a meeting." He said with a small smile. "Next Saturday, at the Headmaster's office."

"Oh…Okay. I'll be there." She said and nodded, the information causing thoughts whirl in her head.

Next Saturday was September 2nd, and the school would have started by then. Which meant that Regulus would be there. Her heart skipped a beat. Perhaps she could ask him to meet her afterwards to find out if he had any news about Voldemort and his followers. And she could see how he was doing. She hadn't heard of him since July and she was starting to feel a bit anxious.

Gideon stayed for lunch, which served also as her breakfast, and she recounted to him everything that had happened during the past two months he had been away.

* * *

 **August 27th 1978 (Sunday)**

They were attending to an Order meeting once again and discussing about the problem with the Giants. Snape had informed everyone that Voldemort had been planning to approach the Giants and lure them on his side, to carry out some of the more savage assignments and atrocities against the Muggle community.

Some of the members reckoned that this was merely a way of Voldemort showing he had all the power, but they were doubtful he would actually use the Giants, as there was a possibility that they were a threat to his Death Eaters as well. The Giants were known to be vicious, short-tempered, and not as intelligent as wizards and witches. And then there was the fact that the Giants were currently stationed at the remote mountainous regions in Northern Europe.

"We have enough problems here without the Giants…I mean, our forces barely keep the Death Eaters in check," Sirius argued and many members nodded in agreement.

Snape sneered at him. "I didn't expect for you to grasp the concept of a strategy in warfare, Black."

Sirius gritted his teeth in silent fury but refrained from responding to him as Moody continued to grill information from Snape.

In the end, they had agreed to see if the Ministry could send a group of Aurors into a mission to the Giant colony in order to bring the Giants over to their side.

After their meeting, Hermione approached Snape. Sirius and James both watched her in bewilderment, and even Lily, Mary and Alice eyed her with their brows lifted in disbelief. No one of their group had actually talked with Snape in the meetings.

"Hey…Do you have a moment?" Hermione asked hesitantly, studying Snape's expression. He seemed to be a bit surprised but only nodded to her.

She led them towards the sitting room upstairs, not missing the incredulous look Sirius was giving her before she started to ascend the stairs. If Snape saw Sirius's reaction, he didn't comment on it as they walked upstairs and closed the door behind them. Hermione gestured for Snape to sit down in an armchair, and situated herself in the opposite chair. Snape eyed her warily for a moment before he sat down and stared at her with a blank look in his black eyes.

"So, um…" Hermione muttered, not exactly sure how to start. "How are you?"

Snape arched a brow at her. "I presume you want something from me?" He said with an oily voice.

Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes. "I was trying to be polite, but yes, actually.

He rolled his eyes. _The bastard._ "Well? What is it?" He asked impatiently.

She frowned, trying to think of how to explain herself to him. "You remember when we used to bump into each other at the Hogwarts potions lab?" She asked and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Vividly."

She sighed inwardly. How did Lily have the patience to be his friend, was beyond her imagination. "Well, you know what I was working on, right?" She asked, eyeing him expectantly. Even though she hadn't told him anything, she assumed Snape had guessed what she had been working on.

His brows lifted up a bit. "Yes."

"Could I…um…send you some of my notes? Perhaps you could…you know, review them if I'm missing something? Or if you have any suggestions?" She asked with a slight cringe. She knew it was risky, to let one of Voldemort's Death Eaters examine her notes regarding an antidote to one of their master's poisons.

His mouth quirked up a bit. "You want me to review your notes on deadly poisons you have been brewing the past year?" He asked slowly, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

Hermione shifted in her seat but eventually nodded. "Well, not exactly…I um…I have assembled a recipe for an antidote to said poisons, so…perhaps you could take a look at that?" She asked and gave him a hopeful look.

Snape studied her for a while before he spoke. "Owl me your notes and I'll see what I can do." He said bluntly and stood up.

She stood up as well, and was struggling with something she wanted to ask.

"Well? Out with it. I know you're dying to ask." He said and gave her an exasperated look.

Hermione swallowed. "How is he?" She asked quietly, worry evident in her voice.

Snape watched her silently. "He told me to tell you he's fine." He said nonchalantly.

Hermione frowned and took a deep breath. "Is he?" She asked hesitantly, worry and alarm worming their way into the bottom of her stomach.

"No. But for his fortune, he can soon escape to Hogwarts." He said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. When she didn't say anything else, he gave her a curt nod and left the room.

Hermione stayed behind, thinking of what he'd said and how he'd said it. She knew that Snape too was only a victim of circumstance. And she knew that there really was a slim to no chance saying no to Voldemort and his followers and not suffer the consequences. It was a pity, really. It was unfair, and horrible. But wasn't she too fighting in the same war? And her friends…They were all barely of age. And they were too young for this.

"Hey. You okay, kitten?" Sirius asked as he stepped into the sitting room a moment later.

Hermione blinked. "Oh, yes. I just wanted to ask Snape about a potion. You know, since we're both apprenticing to be potioneers," she said, trying to sound convincing.

He eyed her warily but nodded. "Did you ask about him?" Sirius asked quietly.

Hermione lifted her brows in puzzlement.

"Reggie." Sirius said with a frown. "I haven't heard of him or seen him since Hogwarts," Sirius said with a hint of worry in his look. "Is he…is he okay?" He asked softly.

Hermione bit her tongue before she nodded, knowing that she just couldn't tell him what Snape had said. She didn't want to make Sirius worry about his brother more than he already was. "Yeah, I asked about him. He's okay."

Sirius let out a small sigh of relief. "Good."

* * *

 **September 2nd 1978 (Saturday)**

Hermione was anxious as she stepped into the fireplace in Hog's Head on Saturday evening. As there had been several disappearances and attacks lately, Ab had insisted that she ought to floo straight to the Headmaster's office, instead of walking to the castle from the village.

Dumbledore had opened his floo momentarily, and as Hermione stepped into the familiar looking circular room, she could hear the floo close behind her.

Everything was just like she remembered. The lightly snoring portraits of previous headmasters aligned on the wall on one side of the room, and Fawkes sitting on his perch in one corner, eyeing everything that happened in the room. Hermione briefly glanced at the beautiful colours that the descending sun was painting onto the sky before she turned her focus towards the other people in the room.

Gideon, Fabian and McGonagall were all sitting in front of the Headmaster's desk, and Dumbledore was situated behind it, beaming at Hermione.

"It is quite splendid to see you again, Hermione," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he eyed her.

Hermione smiled at Dumbledore and greeted everyone. McGonagall gave Hermione a nod and a fond smile, but Fabian stood up and enveloped Hermione in a crushing hug.

"I for one missed you, little Dumbledore," He said as he released her and chuckled when Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Gideon rolled his eyes at his brother as Hermione sat down next to him.

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "If we may now continue to other pressing matters," he said and crossed his fingers on the table.

Everyone eyed the Headmaster expectantly.

"As all of you probably know by now, the diadem remains hidden. We know Voldemort has transformed it into a Horcrux in Albania, according to Gideon's and Fabian's findings, but it seems that it has been placed to somewhere else for safekeeping," Dumbledore explained and there was a short silence.

"What now?" Fabian asked, a small frown between his brows. "How do we proceed with the Horcruxes? There are still three to destroy, and we don't really have access to two of them. The diadem was the only one we could've acted on." He said and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Now…We'll see if our friends in Voldemort's inner circle have anything to say in the matter," Dumbledore said simply.

Hermione lifted he brows. "You want to tell them about the Horcruxes?" She asked in bewilderment.

She knew it had been only cautious not to speak about the Horcruxes to anyone else, but a small part of her had wondered why she couldn't have shared the information with Regulus from the beginning. He was bound to know about them on some point, because of Kreacher. If he was the one who had to lead them to at least one of the Horcruxes, why not tell him sooner? And what about Snape? She knew he had changed sides but she was still a bit wary of trusting him this much of information.

Dumbledore seemed to know her line of thought as he replied to her. "No. What I am suggesting, is that we simply inquire if our allies have seen or heard anything regarding Voldemort's invincibility. Anything out of the ordinary." He said simply. Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly. Probably every word the genocidal lunatic let out of his mouth was out of the ordinary. And then there was the fact that both Snape and Regulus would see right through their inquiries.

She eventually nodded. "I'll try to speak with Regulus tonight." She said and dug the charmed galleon from her purse. She tapped her wand to it and sent him a message as the others eyed her curiously.

 _Fancy a meeting in RoR? –HD_

McGonagall eyed the coin with an impressed look.

"It's um…A charmed fake galleon we use for messaging," She explained sheepishly. Fabian and Gideon exchanged a knowing smirk.

Dumbledore smiled and eyed her over his half-moon spectacles as the coin heated in her palm.

 _Always. –RB_

Her breath hitched and she sent him another message.

 _Meet me there in an hour? –HD_

He replied within minutes.

 _See you soon. –RB_

"I'm meeting him after we're done here," Hermione said to the others.

They continued their discussion regarding the remaining Horcruxes and their possible locations. They still suspected Voldemort had placed one of them in the Lestrange vault – either the cup or the diadem – and they knew the locket was hidden inside the cave by the sea. Gideon and Fabian disclosed the details regarding their mission to the others, and together they analysed the information and any leads there might have been.

Dumbledore went through the events that had happened during the summer, recounting the Death Eater raids and the disappearances of people. Hermione let the others know that she was consulting Snape regarding the antidote she was producing. Gideon and Fabian eyed her warily, as they didn't really trust the raven-haired Slytherin, but neither of them said anything as Dumbledore seemed to be pleased with their collaboration. Dumbledore offered to research Voldemort's history more thoroughly, in the hopes of stumbling on some new information that could steer them towards the diadem. And soon their meeting was ending, and they agreed to meet again during the next month, if none of them received any pressing news before that.

* * *

"Hi." She said hesitantly after she had stepped inside the Room of Requirement. Regulus was already there, sitting on a couch near the fireplace, in the Gryffindor common room replica.

"Hey." He said and after he saw her puzzled expression, he continued. "Thought you might be a bit more comfortable here," he said with an indifferent shrug.

"Oh." Hermione said and walked towards him. "Thanks, I guess…"

Regulus stood up from the couch and stared at her intently. "Why are you here? Why did you want to meet me?"

She worried her lip. "We should sit. I, um…I want to ask you something," she said obscurely and sat down on the couch, where he had been only a moment before.

Regulus frowned a bit but sat down next to her, eyeing her expectantly.

"Do you have any news?" She asked, cringing inwardly. She knew he would see right through her questions.

His frown deepened. "What is this about?" He asked with an unreadable expression.

Hermione sighed. "Have you heard Vold – "

"Don't," he hissed, staring at her with a warning in his eyes.

She was taken aback for a moment before she realised. Of course. If Voldemort searched Regulus's mind, he would probably focus on what was discussed about him. Or so she reckoned. Hermione nodded and continued. "Have you heard your _friend_ –" she bit through gritted teeth, and Regulus's lips quirked up a bit. " – speak anything about being…you know…undefeatable?" She asked carefully.

He eyed her searchingly and finally gave her a grim look. "So it is true then." He said quietly.

Hermione gasped and stared at him in shock. "You didn't – "

"You know I didn't." He interrupted and stared at her defiantly. "You're so easy to read, Hermione. Even without Legilimency." He muttered and turned his gaze towards the floor, his brows knit together.

Hermione blushed, frustrated by the betrayal of her eyes yet again. She tried to figure out what to say to him. What did he know already?

"Summer Solstice…" He eventually said and gave a mirthless laugh, still not looking at her. "I should've known then. I should've realised it every time we met here after you had been practicing the curse."

Hermione shivered. "What do you know?" She asked anxiously.

He sighed and threaded a hand through his hair. He was clearly under a lot of stress. As she took a better look at him, she saw that he was thinner, gaunter than he'd been the last time she'd seen him. He had changed so much already. As Regulus shifted his eyes to look into hers, she saw that there was darkness in them, and emptiness. She briefly wondered what would be left of him when all this was over. She didn't even want to imagine the deeds he must've been expected to carry out during the summer. How she wanted to comfort him, to hold him. But she couldn't. Instead she looked away.

"He mentioned something about going further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality…" Regulus finally said, and Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

"I had my suspicions about what he was talking about, and now you've confirmed them to me." He said simply, staring at her closely.

Hermione grew a bit uncomfortable under his hard gaze, and squirmed on her seat.

"Did he mention anything about the process? How he has done it?" She asked and chewed the inside of her cheek.

His gaze dropped onto her lips. She could feel her heart thrumming faster in her chest. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"No." He said and looked away. "I gathered he used a particularly advanced Dark Magic and had an _object_ , which was well hidden." He muttered, staring at the fire that danced merrily in the fireplace.

So…He knew about Voldemort making Horcruxes. Hermione nodded. "He did. And they are."

"They?" He asked and gave her an incredulous look. "…Of course he fucking has several of them…" He huffed and then gave Hermione a hard look. "And what, you're going to find the rest of them? And save the day?" He asked with resentment in his eyes.

Hermione sighed. "Something like that," She said softly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked after a short silence. "I've told you everything." He said quietly.

Hermione swallowed. "I know you have. And…I couldn't. I still can't tell you everything." She said weakly. "You know why." She whispered.

He gave a weary sigh. "Yeah, I know." It was too dangerous.

She eyed him with a sad smile as she stood up. "I should go," she muttered. Regulus stood up as well.

"So, uh…goodbye…?" She stammered awkwardly.

Regulus's lips twitched and he took a step closer to her. Her heartrate sped up. For some reason, her feet were glued to the floor. He was too close.

"Until next time." He murmured and gently pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear, his fingers hovering against her jawline. She could only stare into his stormy grey eyes, unable to break their eye contact.

She let out a shaky breath and swallowed. He dropped his hand and clenched his jaw.

Hermione finally tore her eyes away from his. She turned around and walked away from him, away from the Room of Requirement and away from Hogwarts.


	36. Unexpected occurrences

**A/N:** Long time no update! Okay, not _that_ long...But, I still appreciate your patience and all the reviews, favourites and follows! You really make my day :)

* * *

 **Chapter 36: Unexpected occurrences**

 **September 19th 1978 (Tuesday)**

Hermione woke up to a tapping sound. She groaned at her pillow.

"Go away…" She muttered. Was it time to wake up already? She turned around and peeked between her heavy eyelids at the window and saw that it was still dark. And there were two owls carrying a large parcel, both rapping on her window.

It was her twentieth birthday. She grabbed her wand from the nightstand and cast the tempus charm.

It was four in the morning.

Grumbling, Hermione stood up and walked to the window to let the owls in. She recognised the other one; it was James's black owl. The owls flew in and dropped the parcel on her bed, both eyeing her with accusing looks. Or so she reckoned.

"I'm sorry, okay? Here," Hermione muttered and dug a handful of owl treats from the drawer. The owls flew off after snatching some treats, but before she could close the window, another owl flew in with a small package tied to its leg. The small brown owl hooted happily as it sat on her desk, eyeing the owl treats with interest.

"Go ahead." Hermione said and took the package from its leg. Why were people sending her gifts in the middle of the night? Didn't they realise that she was getting old and was in fact in a desperate need of her beauty sleep? She chuckled at her thoughts. After the last owl flew away, she closed the window, took the packages with her and went downstairs to make breakfast and get ready for the day. Since she wasn't tired anymore, Hermione reckoned she could head to work a bit early.

During the past two weeks, all of her friends had been quite busy. Sirius, James and Alice had finally started the Auror training at the DMLE after taking their Auror exams, while Lily and Mary had started their Healer training in St. Mungo's. When Hermione had briefly met Lily and James during the weekend, both of them had been exhausted, yawning every five minutes as they'd recounted their previous weeks to her.

Apparently Moody, who was training James and Sirius, was a pain in the arse. James explained that the Auror was constantly hexing the boys in order to forge the concept of _constant vigilance_ into their heads. On some days they had been training around the clock, and after staying up the twenty-four or more hours that included several straining physical tests, he had attacked their minds in order to teach them Occlumency.

Lily and Mary had worked long days as well. There hadn't been any easing into the job, as they both had been assigned to different Healers on their first day, and were expected to follow said Healers throughout their first year of training. Lily explained how she had participated the rounds and treated the patients with her mentor. She'd bitterly told Hermione that the Healer she was following was a strict old lady, who expected nothing less than perfection from her Healer Trainees. Although Mary had it even worse – her mentor was a young man who had recently finished his Healer training, and was always either belittling her or coming on to her.

Hermione wondered how Peter was doing, since she hadn't seen or spoken to him in a long time. She was afraid to think about the possibility that he might soon be on his way to the dark side. What if he was slowly betraying his friends? Could she prevent it from happening?

Hermione sighed, pushing the burdensome thoughts away as she reached the kitchen downstairs and started to make breakfast. She made a mental note to contact Peter after work and see if he too was coming to her place next Friday, when they were supposed to celebrate her birthday.

After she finished eating, Hermione opened the larger one of the parcels.

"What the…" She muttered, eyeing the inside of the box in astonishment.

It was a VHS player. And there was a movie as well – _Jaws_.

"Wow…" She breathed, grinning as she eyed her birthday present.

She took the device out from the box and set it on the table, and noticed there was a note attached. She read it and rolled her eyes.

 _Aaand you're halfway to 40! Happiest birthday to our lovely Hermione!_

- _Your favourite foursome-_

 _Oh – Lils promised to set it up for you later today._

Shaking her head in amusement Hermione took the smaller parcel in her hands and began to open it.

It was a book – _The Wizarding Statutory Law regarding Magical Creatures_. She eyed the book with a mixed curiosity and bewilderment, something prickling in her spine. She saw a note peeking between the pages. Hermione opened the book and her eyes landed on the page where the note was attached. It was the Elf Legislation, and her breath left her lungs as she read the note.

 _Giving a voice to the voiceless._

Hermione let out a nervous laugh and stared at the book in awe as her thoughts drifted to last April, when she and Regulus had spent a night in the Room of Requirement.

 _"What was it like? …Your life?" Regulus asked as they lay on his bed, facing each other._

 _Hermione hummed. "Intense." She said and squirmed as he pinched her waist._

 _"I gathered. Did you do anything normal? Between smuggling dragons into the castle and facing trolls in the bathrooms?" He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice._

 _Hermione smiled fondly at the memories. She hadn't told him all the details about herself, and how she, Harry and Ron were fighting against Voldemort, as there was the risk of Voldemort finding out about Hermione's affairs through Regulus. It was for the best that Regulus knew as little as possible about her actions against Voldemort, even if he had already seen many memories in her mind. Instead she shared with him some of the other occurrences during her schoolyears. "Well…I once rode a Hippogriff," she said, looking at him innocently._

 _Regulus rolled his eyes and placed a soft kiss on her lips._

 _She sighed longingly as his fingers traced the curves of her body, drawing small patterns on her waist and hip._

 _"I, um…Once I started an organisation to promote the Elfish welfare…" Hermione stammered as his fingers brushed her skin, finding the hem of her nightgown and trailing up towards the junction of her thighs._

 _"Oh?" He muttered with a low voice, his eyes dropping to her lips while his fingers followed the line of her knickers._

 _Hermione swallowed. "Yes, and I can't focus if you're touching me like that," she breathed._

 _Regulus smiled. "Okay," he said, moving his eyes to meet hers again as he brought his hand back to her hip. "You wanted better treatment for them?" He asked with interest._

 _Hermione nodded. "Yes. I thought – and still think – that they are enslaved and mistreated. I wanted to defend their rights and improve their working conditions. I wanted to question their status in the wizarding law and develop the Elf Legislation further. So…I formed an organisation and, well…basically badgered anyone I could to join it…And, er, I tried to free the elves without their consent…" She said with a sheepish smile._

 _Even though she still held the same views, she now knew that she hadn't approached her goals and the subject in the right manner. A couple of years after S.P.E.W. she had learned that political movements took time, and figured that perhaps she ought to have listened to the elves more, instead of deciding for them what was best for them. Hermione wondered if she should've perhaps tried to acquire a spokesperson amongst them, one that the elves would have listened to._

 _Regulus smirked. "How did you even manage that? And how did the elves react?"_

 _Hermione shrugged. "I knitted a bunch of hats, socks and scarves and hid them around our common room for them to find…They, um…refused to clean it after that," She said with a slight cringe._

 _He laughed. "Hermione…" He said with a mix of reproach and amusement as he shook his head._

 _"They are brainwashed! They are willing to obey every single request their master makes, even if it's dangerous to the elf. They are willing to hurt themselves for no reason," she said heatedly, the ends of her hair crackling with electricity as she spoke._

 _Regulus was contemplative before he nodded. "I agree. I know this might sound a bit high-handed coming from someone who actually has a House-Elf, but…I don't approve how some witches and wizards treat them," he said sternly and Hermione could see regret cross his eyes. She reckoned he meant his parents, and, well…Sirius._

 _"I don't approve of them not having any rights – I mean, even though there is the legislation, I doubt many wizards and witches follow it," he muttered grimly._

 _Hermione smiled in agreement. "I know…" They were silent for a while before he spoke._

 _"Perhaps you'll change their lives someday and give your voice for the voiceless..." He said quietly and stared deep into her eyes._

 _Hermione shivered under his gaze. "Perhaps," She whispered as his fingers continued their earlier exploration._

* * *

She had gone to work, her mind in a haze because of the unexpected birthday gift from Regulus. It had been quite…thoughtful, as he had remembered something that was important to her, something she held close to her heart. Unfortunately, she knew she just couldn't focus on the house-elves right now…She had far bigger problems on her hands. But…perhaps there would be a time sometime in the future?

After lunch, she found a letter on her desk.

"The front desk receives the owls and delivers the post to recipients," Viridian muttered to Hermione as he added Armadillo bile into his cauldron and took notes of the changes in the potion.

"Oh…" Hermione said absentmindedly as she sat down. She opened the letter and looked at the neat handwriting. It was from Snape. She had sent him her notes regarding her project the other week, of course leaving out the detail that she was actually trying to make an antidote for a poison Voldemort had used. He had reviewed her notes, and suggested a couple of alterations to the antidote, making it more extensive. Hermione hummed approvingly as she read his instructions and decided to try them as soon as possible.

Even though Hermione was working with an experienced potioneer - the one, who had originally provided McGonagall the list of the torturous poisons Hermione had been brewing during the past year - she hadn't wanted to ask for Viridian's help. Hermione, Dumbledore and McGonagall had agreed to not include him in on her project. Viridian wasn't part of the Order, and they reckoned, the less people knew what she was up to, the better.

Viridian's employees had a permission to work with their personal projects alone in one of the potions labs after work hours, if they so wished. Hermione had visited the lab with her antidote a couple of times but hadn't made any progress with it. The antidote she was working on, was supposed to be functional against several rare torturous poisons she had brewed, but for some reason, it was losing its abilities if not stirred periodically. After that, the potion was useless. Luckily, she still had several doses of the original poisons stored at home, as they were crucial ingredients in the antidote.

She reckoned that with Snape's advices, she might have a chance to brew the antidote successfully. Or so she hoped.

* * *

As she returned home from work, Hermione noticed a small pile of birthday gifts on the sitting room table.

"Wow…" She whispered and smiled at the view as she sat down on the couch and eyed the pile that had appeared there during her workday.

"I know, right…" An amused voice said behind her. "I feel like you're rather spoiled, you know…"

Hermione leaped to her feet, whirling around.

Remus.

"You're home!" Hermione squealed and jumped towards him, enveloping him into a crushing hug.

Remus laughed. "I suppose I don't have to ask if I've been missed?" He asked as Hermione hugged him tightly against her.

She started crying. She tried to press her face against his chest, to hide her misery from him.

"Hey…Hey?" Remus asked softly, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her away slightly. "What's going on?" He asked with a worried look.

Hermione swallowed. "I just…I've missed you." She said, blinking away the tears and trying to get a grip while shaking thoroughly.

"No, that's not it. What's going on, Hermione?" Remus asked again and pulled her towards the couch, where they sat down next to each other.

She cringed after a short silence. "I, um…I've been quite lonely throughout the summer." She muttered, staring at the table where the pile of gifts stayed untouched. "Then there was the raid, and…" Her voice trailed off. She wanted to tell him about her parents so much, but she couldn't.

"And?" He asked, staring at her intently.

Hermione gave him a helpless look and shrugged.

"You can't tell me?" Remus asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head miserably and he frowned at her, a contemplative look in his eyes.

"How's Allie doing?" He asked after a short silence.

Hermione let out a weary sigh. "Better, I think. She has the Auror training now to take her mind away from what happened. But…it just feels unfair…I mean, her life was perfect. She just got married, had a lovely honeymoon and then…" She said with a strangled voice.

Remus nodded quickly. "Yeah…I feel bad for not being there for her," he muttered, staring at the fireplace with a frown.

"You couldn't have interrupted the Belby study…And the rest of us were here," Hermione said and gave him a reassuring smile.

She knew that Remus wasn't convinced, as saw the regret in his eyes as he looked at her.

* * *

 **September 22nd 1978 (Friday)**

Everyone gathered at Hermione's and Remus's place to celebrate Hermione's birthday, as well as Remus's return from Germany. Hermione had opened the rest of her presents on Tuesday night before she'd went to bed, since Lily had popped by almost immediately Hermione had come home, with the intention of fixing up her new VHS player. Lily had been equally surprised and happy to see Remus, and of course Hermione, Lily and Remus had stayed up late and chatted the whole evening about Remus's trip and what each of them had been up to for the past months.

Alice and Frank had given Hermione a Secrecy Sensor, a dark detector that looked something like a coiled, golden television antenna. It was supposed to vibrate when it detected jinxes, curses, and concealment charms. Even though the object wasn't that useful as it was easily fooled, Hermione was delighted, since she had always found the items of the wizarding world somewhat fascinating. Remus had given her a very intriguing and advanced book about offensive and defensive magic. From a large parcel she had found a vast collection of potion ingredients to refill her potion's kit as well as a selection of brand-new crystal phials, from Lily and Mary. There had been also a small notebook, which turned out to be James's father's notes from the time when he had been experimenting and developing new potions in his youth. Hermione had been a bit taken aback by it, and reckoned there was probably quite valuable information in the notebook. Lily had later assured her that Mr. Potter had given it for her to keep, and was not expecting it back.

Hermione had received another book from Aberforth, which was about household spells. The gift included a note where he had written that he was expecting an invitation to her new place. Smiling, Hermione had put the book away and unwrapped the last present.

It was a Pensieve.

Needless to say, Hermione had been stunned. Dumbledore had given her a _Pensieve_ , _for Merlin's sake,_ and written her a note as well;

 _To remember all the good things in your life._

Hermione had been glad to open her presents alone. She had dissolved into tears.

"Why are you brooding in your bedroom when we are supposed to celebrate your birthday?" Sirius asked, leaning against her doorframe as he eyed her casually.

Hermione cleared her mind. "I'm just taking a break. You guys can be a handful, you know…" she said with a teasing smile and stood up from her bed.

She had snuck upstairs for a bit after dinner, while James, Lily, Remus and Arthur had started to work on the VHS player, which Lily hadn't managed to set up as all her time on Tuesday had gone in catching up with Remus. Molly had come to celebrate Hermione's birthday as well, without kids, as Fabian and his fiancée had promised to watch them for the night. Molly had knitted a jumper with Hermione's initials for her birthday. She had been somewhat overwhelmed by the gift, as it reminded her of all the Christmases and birthdays in her old life, and she reckoned she needed to be alone for a moment.

"Come on," Sirius said and threw an arm around her shoulders as she walked towards him. "We still haven't had the cake yet," he said, smirking at her wary expression.

"I'm not really sure if I even want to have the cake, seeing as you were involved in the making and baking of it," She grumbled as they walked down the stairs.

Sirius barked a laugh. "The only thing that was involved was my home, kitten. I promise. Lils did it all by herself," He said as they reached the sitting room.

"For a moment there I thought these dimwits are starting the party without the woman of the hour…" An amused voice stated behind her.

Hermione turned around. "Gideon? How are you here?" She asked with a bewildered smile.

Gideon grinned at Hermione and took the Butterbeer Sirius offered him. "Magic," He said and winked at her. Sirius chuckled, while Molly rolled her eyes at her brother from the kitchen where she sat with Lily and Alice.

Hermione arched a brow at Gideon. "Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts?"

He shrugged. "Well, not exactly…" He muttered.

Hermione lifted both her brows in surprise. "Oh?"

"I handed in my notice. I'm going back to the force. Easier to do Order business. And, well, more time with family and stuff…" He said evasively and handed her a small package.

"Oh! Thanks. You shouldn't have…" She said, surprised as she took the gift from him. "And…You're okay with it? Quitting?"

He gave her a smile. "Yeah, sure. Don't worry about it," He said and glanced at the kitchen. "Is there any food left? I'm starving…"

"Sure, go ahead." Hermione said and nodded her head towards the food that was on display.

The evening went on in high spirits, and they eventually watched _Jaws_ from the television set. It had been a bit awkward when Mary had arrived right before they started the movie – she hadn't really spent time with Remus after their breakup, and then he had been abroad.

The awkwardness continued when Peter arrived later with his boyfriend Jason. It wasn't that anyone disapproved their relationship, but merely that most of them were a bit surprised since Peter hadn't really spoken about him. Even so, James and Sirius had had their suspicions about their friend and his workmate. The man in question was tall and slim, quite handsome looking young man with a freckled face, warm eyes and a curly golden-blond hair.

"So, um…Everyone…This is Jason," Peter squeaked and eyed his friends nervously. Molly, Arthur and Gideon had already left, as well as Alice and Frank.

James, Sirius and Remus all grinned and went to shake hands with the newcomer. Lily, Mary and Hermione followed. After the introductions, they sat around the dinner table and got to know one another. Jason told everyone that he was a rune translator apprentice as well, and was a bit further in his training than Peter, as he was a year older, and had started a half a year before.

"You were in Hogwarts?" Hermione asked as she filled Jason's glass with red wine.

He shook his head. "I went to Ilvermorny. Moved here from the States a couple of months after graduation," Jason said with a hint of edginess in his voice.

"Ooh! I've always wanted to hear more about the school!" Lily said excitedly as she sat down next to him. "You know, our Hermione here is from abroad as well! She's studied in Australia…" Lily babbled eagerly, the wine clearly taking effect.

Jason smiled at Hermione, but she didn't get the chance to say anything, as Lily started shooting questions about the houses at Ilvermorny. Mary too joined the conversation and soon they were learning the inside information about the American wizarding school.

After a while, Hermione glanced at the Marauders, who had retreated into the sitting room during the boring school talk. _Their words, not hers,_ Hermione thought and eyed them as they lounged on the couch and armchairs, watching the telly with mesmerised looks. _Merlin, you'd think they would've gotten used to it by now…_ She thought with amusement and saw Peter glance at Jason anxiously, as the man in question explained about his previous school's curriculum to Mary and Lily. Peter's gaze met with Hermione's, and he looked away quickly. Hermione frowned. _What was that about?_ Her thoughts quickly vanished as Sirius and James announced that they were going to drop by at Sirius's place to grab a couple of bottles of Firewhiskey so that they could finally start celebrating properly.

* * *

 **October 15th 1978 (Sunday)**

"So…You reckon anyone will notice if I trip jinx Snivellus?" Sirius murmured to her from the next seat.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to answer that," she said quietly as she listened Snape explaining about Voldemort's liaison with the Giants and his plans to attack a lively residential area in London.

They were in the Hog's Head, attending to an Order meeting, and the atmosphere was quite dark. The news of Voldemort gaining supporters from the Giants so soon had caught them off guard, and in addition to that, McGonagall's brother Robert had gone missing the other week.

After the meeting, the Marauders, Lily and Hermione stayed for a drink. No one really talked about anything, as everyone was still going through the news they had received during the meeting. They were expected to join the fight, at last. Dumbledore had tried to ask for Hermione to stay behind but she wanted to fight beside her friends. She knew there were risks, but she couldn't just go home and wait out the raid. She could only hope that she would be fast enough not to get killed or kidnapped.

In order to clear her mind, Hermione went upstairs to her old sitting room to return a couple of books back to Ab. She eyed the bookshelf for a moment, thinking absently about the Grimmauld Place library. She wondered if Regulus too would be in the raid, even though he was in school. And if so, would she recognise him, under the cloak and the mask?

Sighing, Hermione walked downstairs and decided to head out for a bit. She needed the fresh air. As she opened the back door of the pub and stepped into the crisp October air, she blanched at the sight in front of her. Peter was there, a fag between his lips.

"You smoke?" Hermione asked with a dumbfounded look.

Peter shrugged sheepishly. "Only when I'm nervous…" He said and grimaced as he inhaled the cigarette smoke.

Hermione pursed her lips at the disgusting habit. "You're nervous because of the raid?" She asked kindly.

Peter contemplated his answer for a bit. "Yes and no." He said quietly.

"Oh?"

He sighed. "It's….Someone…" He winced, eyeing around him.

"Hey? What is it? Has something happened?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling slightly alarmed. "You can talk to me, Peter. You can trust me. You know that, right?" She asked and stared at him searchingly.

Peter worried the inside of his cheek and stumped the fag before he cleared his throat and spoke. "S-Someone has been approaching me with a certain issue…" He said obscurely.

Hermione's eyes widened a bit. This had to be it. The Death Eaters. Voldemort. Whoever it was, someone had started to pursue Peter to change sides. To betray his friends.

"Who? What did they say?" Hermione asked urgently.

Peter cringed. "I…I haven't seen their faces and…It's about Jason…They're threatening him because he is a Muggleborn. They're threatening to do something to him if I don't…" He squeaked, looking away.

"If you don't do what?" Hermione pressed on, dreading his answer. She vaguely registered that her hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging uncomfortably into her skin.

"Nothing, forget about it. I'll handle it, Hermione…" Peter muttered quickly, staring at the edge of the back garden of Hog's Head.

Hermione felt something cold trickle down her spine. Peter definitely could not handle it by himself. Was this how it previously went? Did he try to handle it by himself and failed? "No, Peter. Tell me," Hermione demanded with a low voice, her eyes boring into his.

Peter shifted uncomfortably and averted his eyes. "Um…I should go inside…The guys –"

"Damn it, Pete!" Hermione hissed and took a hold of his arm. Peter winced with surprise but she ignored him. "Trust me on this. You need your friends!" Hermione said trough gritted teeth, pinning him down with a hard stare.

"I…" Peter stuttered, fear flashing in his eyes.

Hermione sighed and dropped her hand. "Please. You can trust me. Tell me, and I'll help you figure it out, okay?" She asked softly. If this was the reason why he had sold his friends to Voldemort, because of a loved one being threatened, and him being too scared to ask help, would it be possible to change his fate? Could it be possible to change his friends' fates as well?

Peter swallowed hard. "Um…well, if…if I don't spy the Order for _him."_ He whispered, staring at her helplessly.

Hermione held her breath. She knew this was a crucial point. A point where she could help Peter to do the right thing. "And have you? Spied on us?" She asked carefully.

He shook his head. "They're expecting an answer from me," He muttered. "I don't know what to do, Hermione!" He choked out. "I can't let them hurt my friends…But I can't let them take Jason away from me…What can I do?" He cried out.

Hermione felt bad for him. When she had arrived to this time, she hadn't even wanted to look at Peter's direction. She'd loathed him. Because of what he'd done to his friends. But this Peter hadn't done anything yet. This Peter seemed…different. Sure, he probably had already considered the option, but she could now see the decision wasn't something he would do easily.

Hermione tried to form a plan as she placed a soothing hand against his shoulder. "We are going to solve this together," She said reassuringly and bit the inside of her cheek for a bit before she continued. "We are going back into the pub and let our friends know. Then we go to Dumbledore. He will know what to do, okay?" She said firmly, eyeing him expectantly and hoping to Merlin he would agree with her.

Peter looked hesitant before he gave a small nod. "Okay."

* * *

"I'm so fucking tired right now…" Sirius moaned from the couch.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You know, Pads, if you're afraid to go home, you're welcome to stay the night. But only if you stop whinging," He said wearily as he slumped into the armchair next to the couch and started to flick through the tv channels.

"Bugger off…I'm not _afraid_ to go to my own house…I'm merely giving them a moment of peace, for you know…to settle in." Sirius muttered as he closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch.

It had taken Hermione and Peter many hours after the Order meeting to explain everything to their friends and Dumbledore, and then to form a plan to protect Peter and Jason from the Death Eater's threats. The two boys were now staying at Sirius's and the place had been warded with several protective enchantments. Everyone thought that laying low for a while would help to direct the Death Eaters' attention elsewhere.

Hermione smirked at the raven-haired Marauder. "How generous of you," She said with an amused voice as she sat down next to him. "I'm sure they're very grateful," She said, mocking him.

Sirius arched a brow and squinted at Hermione. "The only thing I'm expecting is for them to keep their…you know… _Buggery –"_ He said, smirking at her withering glare before he continued, "In the confines of their bedroom."

Remus glanced at him. "Isn't that what people usually do?" He asked incredulously.

Sirius chuckled. "Um…Hello? Have you met me?" Sirius asked with glee, while Remus and Hermione both rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Remus said between yawning, "Got to be sharp for tomorrow's Epic Poetry," He muttered as he stood up and walked towards the stairs.

"You're not going to school tomorrow? Shouldn't you be resting?" Hermione asked quizzically and turned to look at her friend with concern. Tomorrow was the full moon, and even though his transformations were now easier because of the Wolfsbane potion, he still looked very ill.

Sirius winced as he saw his werewolf friend narrowing his eyes at Hermione.

"I'm perfectly capable of living my life, Hermione. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll head to bed," He said bitingly and continued his way up the stairs.

Hermione was quite taken aback, as Remus wasn't usually this snappy. She turned to Sirius; puzzlement clear on her face. "What was that?"

Sirius sighed and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "We, um…The guys and I…might've had questioned his ability to study during the full moon as well…" He said slowly.

"Oh," She muttered, worrying the inside of her cheek.

"Don't take it personally," Sirius said and squeezed her shoulder. "Moony's just been waiting like, forever for the school to start and I reckon it's a bit hard to let his illness get in the way…" He said prudently.

Hermione nodded. "I know…It's just that…I'm worried he'll overwork himself into exhaustion…" She said quietly. They were silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Will you be with him tomorrow?"

"Of course."

She gave him a smile. "Where will you go?" She asked, intrigued to know where a bear-sized dog, a majestic stag, a small rat and a rather notable werewolf would go, now that they didn't have the Shrieking Shack near them.

"Prongs's folks have a deserted cottage in Yorkshire Wolds. Figured we'd head there tomorrow morning to set the place ready," He explained and yawned.

"I should head upstairs too," Hermione said, stretching her arms. It was getting late and she had to be at work early the next morning. "You sure you're not going home? To your own comfortable bed instead of this small and pointy couch?" She asked with a wry smile as she stood up.

He smirked. "You could offer your bed," He said and lifted his brows knowingly.

Hermione huffed. "I'm really not in the mood for this," She said and turned towards the stairs. They had been spending more time together now that Remus was back, and while they had been nothing more than friendly towards each other, something remained underneath all that. That something always resurfaced when he said those things, or looked at her like that. Before she managed to take a step forward, he stood up and pulled her against him.

He was so close that she could feel his breath against her skin. So close, that she could feel the muscles of his chest flexing as he breathed slightly faster. She didn't know what to think. She knew she should have pushed him away, taken a step back. But she couldn't move, as a part of her was intrigued to see what was on his mind. Where this was going. Her heart skipped a beat as he slowly lowered his lips against hers, brushing them lightly.

"Sweet dreams, Hermione," He whispered against her lips before turning away and leaving the place through the fireplace.

* * *

 **October 31st 1978 (Tuesday, Halloween)**

The air outside had become crisp and chilly, as grey clouds blanketed the sky and the daylight hours remained dim; the winter was coming. The past weeks had gone quickly for Hermione, as she had worked long hours and barely seen her friends. She hadn't really had the chance to talk with Sirius after the incident – the night when he had kissed her and left her feeling perplexed about everything between them – but recently she had started to think that perhaps their time was indeed in the past. That something between them just didn't seem to go anywhere anymore, and she wasn't sure if either of them really wanted it to.

Hermione was in the middle of scribbling her notes about a couple of additions to the potion she and Viridian were researching when she felt her thigh warm up.

"What?" She mumbled, placing her quill on the table and reaching to her pocket.

The galleon. _The galleon!_

She quickly took the coin into her palm and inspected it.

 _I need you. –RB_

Hermione swallowed and tapped her wand to the coin.

 _Everything okay? –HD_

She waited anxiously for his reply. Why did he need her? What for? Didn't he end their relationship because it was dangerous for them to be anything else than a spy and his contact? The coin was heating up again, as his reply came through.

 _No. Please come to Hogwarts. –RB_

Hermione didn't have a chance to think about a reply before he sent another message.

 _It's Kreacher. Help me. –RB_

A cold shiver went through her spine. _Godric…Voldemort…the locket._ Her mind was whirling as she tried to focus. She quickly tapped her wand to the coin and sent Regulus a reply that she would meet him in the Room of Requirement as soon as possible.

She pushed the coin back into her pocket, flicked her wand over her desk to gather her notes and clean the space.

She cleared her throat. "Um. Sir?" She asked, eyeing him hesitantly.

Viridian glanced at her. "Yes?" He asked and turned to stir his cauldron and added something to his notes.

"Would it be possible for me to leave early today? A friend of mine is in trouble, and normally I wouldn't leave my work unfinished, but it is actually quite important," She explained, worrying the inside of her cheek.

It was already afternoon, and her workday would end soon, but she still didn't want him to think of her as indifferent towards her work and the apprenticeship.

"Sure, go on," He muttered, his eyes trained on the cauldron. "In fact, take tomorrow off if you please. I think you have worked more than enough overtime to cover the hours," He said wryly and turned to look at her with mirth in his eyes.

Hermione's mouth quirked up a bit. "Thank you, sir. I'm not certain if it is necessary to take the day off tomorrow, but if will inform you as soon as possible, if that is acceptable?" She asked as she pulled her coat on.

Viridian nodded. "My regards to your friend," He said and turned back to his work.

"Thank you," She said and left the building.

As she walked towards the apparition point in the old industrial area near London where Viridian's company was nestled between several Muggle companies, she tried to think what she would do next. She needed to contact Ab and Dumbledore. She decided to apparate home, and then floo over to the Hog's Head.

* * *

Before leaving her home, Hermione packed her beaded bag with her potion making kit, her research regarding the mind-altering potions, as well as the antidotes she had brewed and finished with the help of Snape. Now it was time to see if her efforts would bear fruit. Her hands shook with fear as she stepped into the fireplace after shouting the name of her previous home.

It was at least an hour later when she walked into the Room of Requirement to see a stricken looking Regulus standing next to the couch in the Grimmauld Place library. Kreacher was lying on the couch, unmoving.

"Hermione," He muttered, his eyes darting over her face. "Can you help?" He asked urgently, his voice wavering.

She felt a twinge of guilt as she saw how desperate he was. How vulnerable he was. And she could now see how much the Elf meant to him. "I…I think so, yes." She said softly and walked towards him.

Regulus didn't say anything until she was kneeling next to the couch and digging through her beaded bag. "He did something to Kreacher. He…He requested an Elf. And I…" He said and gritted his teeth.

He shoved his hands through his hair, messing it up. "I fucking did what he told me to do," He said exasperatedly.

"It's okay. I'll help. You did what you had to do, Reg." She said and eyed him with compassion.

Regulus sighed. "I had to stun it when it came to me. Kreacher was…was screaming in agony, and I didn't know what to do. Nothing I tried helped, so I brought it here." He said absently, staring at his house-elf before he turned to look at her, his eyes flashing with helplessness. "Just…Do what you can, okay?"

Hermione swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay."

She waved her wand over Kreacher's unconscious body, making mental notes about its condition. She needed to know every single detail, because soon she would go to the cave to retrieve the locket, and whoever was with her, would have to help her to get through the effects.

"It seems that Kreacher is poisoned," Hermione muttered.

"I know. I already tried to give it antidotes but they did nothing," He said blankly.

Hermione chewed her lip. Nervously, she pulled four vials from her bag. She uncorked the first one, a simple pain-relieving potion and tipped a small amount of it into Kreacher's mouth as Regulus held the elf's head up.

"Pain relieving potion," She explained as Regulus eyed her curiously. He nodded but said nothing.

Hermione waved her wand again to perform another set of diagnostic spells, and saw that there was a small change for the better in the Elf's condition, but saw that the poison was still attacking the Elf's brain. She forced small amounts from the two other vials down its throat and waved her wand again. She had to at least try the common and uncommon antidotes, even though they had probably already been tested by Regulus.

Hermione sighed. "No change…" She muttered before she gave Kreacher the contents of the last vial.

She took a deep breath and raised her wand. _Fingers crossed…_ Hermione thought as she cast the diagnostic spells.

"…Merlin…" She whispered, staring at Kreacher in shock.

"Did it work? What was it?" Regulus asked sharply, eyeing her searchingly.

Hermione cleared her throat. "It worked," she said quietly, shaking her head in astonishment.

She could hardly believe it. She had done it…She really had managed to brew the correct antidote. Hermione let out a nervous laugh. Had she really succeeded? In her mind she was doing somersaults, and cartwheels, and celebrations, but as she turned to look at Regulus with a wide grin spread on her face, she then blanched, her smile vanishing away.

He was staring at her with a cold look in his eyes.

"What is it?" She asked in confusion. "Regulus, Kreacher is going to be fine. The potion worked," She said reassuringly, placing her hand to rest against his chest. He stood up and took a step back, gritting his teeth together as he breathed heavily through his nose.

"Reg?" Hermione asked in puzzlement, trying to understand his sudden cold exterior. And…Anger? She stood up slowly and eyed him expectantly.

"You knew." He said eventually with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "You knew this would happen, all along. You even made the antidote. That's what you've been up to in the potion's lab," He said harshly, his eyes flashing with betrayal.

Hermione's stomach dropped _._ She gaped at him, rendered speechless.

"Fuck." He cursed, his eyes filling with hurt and anger before he schooled his expression. "I should've known." He huffed. "I fucking should've known that you knew," He growled, walking away from her and stopping in front of the fireplace, leaning his hands on the mantle.

Hermione trembled with regret. With guilt. She wanted to apologise, to calm him, but she didn't know what to say. Sorry just didn't seem to be enough. She still had to try though.

"I'm sorry Regulus." She said quietly, her voice shaking.

"Why?" He muttered with his voice thick with emotion. He was still turned away from her.

Hermione tensed. What could she say? She needed Kreacher to go to the cave so that she would know the way there. Voldemort needed to test the defences of the cave first so that he wouldn't immediately find out that someone had been there and stolen his Horcrux. But had it really been the only option? She had let the Elf suffer for her gain. Sure, Kreacher was going to be fine, but still. Regulus turned to stare at her, his expression calm and expectant.

"I…I don't know what to say…" She whispered, frowning at the floor.

Regulus stared at her with a blank look. "Yes, you do. You're just afraid to say it," He said quietly.

Hermione swallowed and nodded. "I knew this would happen. And…I needed it to happen." She said and gave him a pleading look. "I'm sorry Kreacher was hurt, I really am."

He stared at her with a penetrating look, full of resentment. She knew what was coming. She felt him intrude her mind a moment after. She felt him nudge her mental barriers away with ease and search through her mind. Soon he stumbled back a bit and kicked a chair.

"FUCK!" He yelled and took a couple of deep breaths before he turned to her again. Hermione stared back weakly. "Another one?" He asked coarsely and after she nodded, he continued, "How many? Tell me. Now."

Hermione swallowed nervously. This was _not_ the way she had wanted to tell him about Voldemort's Horcruxes. She still wasn't sure if it was even safe to talk about them with him. But she knew she had to tell him.

"Six. He had six where I came from." She said feebly.

"And now? How many?" He gritted through his teeth.

"Five…Three left."

He threaded a hand through his black locks and seemed to gather his thoughts. "You're not going to get this one. The one in the cave." He said with finality.

Hermione pursed her lips. "I don't have a choice." She snapped.

Regulus let out a dry laugh. "Yes, you have. Let your make-believe uncle handle it. Or some other member from your group of friends," He said indifferently.

She shook her head slowly. "No. The fewer people know the better. I'm going. And you can't stop me. I only need Kreacher to apparate me there, and then I leave it be."

"I swear to fucking Salazar that you're not getting anywhere near my Elf." He said defiantly, his eyes dark. If the situation had been less severe, Hermione would have pointed out the similarity of Regulus and his brother.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her face. _How was she going to persuade him?_

"That was the place where I died, right?" Regulus asked bluntly. "The army of Inferi…" He said darkly, his voice trailing off.

She nodded slowly, watching him with a worried look.

"I'm coming with you."

Hermione blanched. "No."

Regulus arched a brow at her. "You think I would be fine knowing you've gone into a place that's swarming with corpses that try to harm you?" He said grimly. "To a place where I was killed? And where Kreacher almost died?"

Hermione gave him a strained look.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but if you want my Elf, you're taking me with you." He said simply.

She tried to think things through, but everything was suddenly much more complicated than it had been. Was Regulus even fit to come with her? What if Voldemort read his mind and saw that he had been in the cave?

"Take me with you, love." He said softly as he approached her. "Okay?"

Hermione was silent for a long moment before she gave him a slight nod. "Okay."

* * *

"But that would be highly risky, you do realise it, Hermione?" Gideon argued for the fifth time after she had explained her plans regarding the locket to him, Dumbledore and McGonagall. Fabian wasn't able to come, as he was in an evening shift at work.

It was already late, and Hermione was getting tired of arguing and explaining everything first to Regulus, and now to the small group in front of her. She made a mental note to send an owl to Viridian as soon as the meeting was finished, informing him that she would indeed take the next day off.

She had stayed in the Room of Requirement until after the feast, which Regulus had skipped, and instead they had made plans how to acquire the locket from the cave. When Kreacher had awoken, a bit shaky but otherwise in perfect health, Hermione had suggested to Regulus that she could discuss about the Elf's fate with Dumbledore and perhaps arrange it to work in the Hogwarts kitchen from now on. Since Voldemort most likely thought Kreacher had died in the cave, it would be crucial to hide the elf from now on.

Hermione sighed and eyed the others wearily. She knew McGonagall and Dumbledore agreed with Gideon, as she could see it written all over their faces.

"I'm sorry, but I need him. I need his Elf to show me how to get there," Hermione said persistently. They had gone it through already.

McGonagall cleared her throat. "When would this mission take place?" She asked resignedly.

"Well, as Regulus can't really miss school, we thought that perhaps the mission could take place on a weekend. But, since someone is bound to notice his absence, we thought that perhaps he could head to the Hospital wing on Saturday morning, feigning illness, and then return there on Sunday night the latest. Would it be possible to organise it so that no one could visit him in the infirmary during his absence?" Hermione asked, biting the inside of her cheek in anticipation.

Gideon sighed and shook his head in disagreement, while Dumbledore eyed her attentively for a moment before he spoke, "As reluctant as I am to let you two enter that cave by yourselves, a small part of me tries to remind me that you are in fact an adult who has finished her schooling, and who is probably more capable of handling the difficulties that lie inside than the rest of us," He said slowly, eyeing her over his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione smiled tentatively. "Is that a yes?" She said, cringing slightly.

Dumbledore's mouth quirked up a bit. "I suppose it is. If we agree that you will not try to destroy the Horcrux inside the cave, as this mission is only about acquiring it?" He asked and gave her a scrutinising look.

She nodded hastily. "Of course."

"Can we all wake up a bit?" Gideon asked with a hint of frustration in his voice. "Don't get me wrong, Hermione…I know how capable you are, but…You said there was an army of _Inferi_ lying in the lake? Not to mention the potion you have to drink that will torture you and devastate your mind," He said incredulously. Dumbledore and McGonagall shared a cryptic look while Hermione frowned at Gideon.

"I mean, what if something goes wrong? Are you capable of fighting them? Is Regulus? If you drink the potion, how in the Merlin's saggy pants will you be able to fight against an army of dead corpses?" Gideon asked fiercely and stared at the others with a discontented look. "I think at least one of us should come as well, and as we know it is not wise for Albus to communicate with Regulus since Voldemort can apparently somehow sniff him from everyone's mind, it is between me, my brother and Minerva…" He concluded with a stern voice.

"Gideon has a point, Albus," McGonagall said and gave the Headmaster a perceptive look.

Dumbledore sighed after a short silence. "As usual, you are right, Minerva," He said to her kindly, and turned to speak at Gideon, "If you are willing to participate the mission, that would be appreciated."

Gideon nodded.

Hermione scoffed. "While I understand the importance of strength in numbers, a small detail must have had slipped from your mind," She said and looked at her former Defence Professor. "The boat will carry only one adult. And even if we manage to trick it with an aging potion to accept a minor, and enlarge it so that it could fit more than one person, we don't know if the boat can carry all of us to the island," She said sharply. "And I know Regulus will not stay behind," she muttered, blushing slightly, before clearing her throat, "And neither will I."

"Then I'll wait on the shore." Gideon said stubbornly.

Hermione grumbled inwardly. Even though she couldn't deny that she felt a bit safer after knowing that Gideon would participate the mission, she still felt a bit…inadequate. A small part of her had wanted to prove the others that she was capable of handling such a mission.

"May I suggest that your mission would take place at the end of next week?" Dumbledore asked with a calculating look.

Hermione arched a brow. "You know the raid is rumoured to take place then."

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled.

"Even I have to admit that it is a remarkable opportunity. I doubt there would be anyone to guard the cave when Voldemort's followers are all fighting in a raid…" Gideon muttered, looking a bit torn.

Hermione reckoned he didn't want to sit out the fight, where all his friends would be putting themselves in danger. She knew how he felt. Hermione let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll make sure the weekend is good for Regulus."

Dumbledore gave a satisfied nod. "Splendid. Let us know as soon as possible. Now, I will finally release you to your beds, as it is quite late." He said, eyeing the others over his half-moon spectacles.

"Oh, Sir? I mean, uncle?" She asked as she stood up. Gideon and McGonagall were already heading towards the door.

"Yes?"

"Would it be possible for Kreacher to work in the kitchens from now on? The elf's in Regulus's care at the moment, but it can't really return to its home since Voldemort thinks it was left behind in the cave," She explained, looking at the Headmaster hesitantly.

"Well, of course. You are very kind to think of Kreacher, Hermione." He said softly, and Hermione felt a pang of nausea in her stomach.

"I'll make sure the elf has a new home, here in Hogwarts." Dumbledore concluded and Hermione nodded and quickly left his office after wishing everyone good night.

She had many things to go through with Regulus. After a quick stop into the owlery, from where she sent a letter to Viridian, informing him that she was taking the next day off, she decided to head towards the Room of Requirement to speak with Regulus.

Yawning, she pushed the door to the Room of Requirement open after checking the Map that the halls were empty.

"Reg?" She called into the library. He was nowhere to be seen.

"In here." He voiced from the other room. His bedroom.

Hermione took a deep breath and walked towards the room. She opened the door slowly, only to find Regulus sitting at his desk. Kreacher was sleeping soundly in a small cot in the corner of the room.

"Kreacher didn't want to sleep in my bed." He muttered with an amused voice, his head bend over a parchment.

"Oh." She said and yawned.

"You can sleep in it if you'd like. I can stay in the library," He said cordially and turned to look at her.

She swallowed. "I shouldn't." She said quietly. Even though she wanted to, she had already informed Ab that she would be staying at the Hog's Head.

Regulus nodded and stood up, walking slowly towards her. "So? What did you decide?" He asked with an expressionless voice, stopping right in front of her.

"What are you doing next week?"


	37. The Cave

**A/N:** And our story continues!

...To those who have left reviews - I appreciate it a lot! It really makes me smile, knowing that someone else (other than me and my beta) adores this story as well! And especially those who leave a review to almost every chapter - thank you! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 37: The Cave**

 **November 11th 1978 (Saturday)**

On Saturday morning, everyone around her was preparing for the raid, tensely discussing about the details and sharing their thoughts about strategy, while Hermione had different plans on her mind. In the Order meeting the night before, Dumbledore had informed everyone that Hermione and Gideon would be joining the fight later, if possible, since they had a small mission to accomplish before that. The information had of course stirred interest among the others, even though Dumbledore had requested everyone not to ask the questions stirring in their minds.

"Are you going to infiltrate their forces? Trying to strike them from the inside?" James was lounging on the couch, shooting questions at Hermione every now and then between their discussion, as if trying to trick her to answer him. The Marauders, Lily, Mary, Alice and Frank had arrived to Hermione's and Remus's place early in the morning to have breakfast together and to go through the details of the previous Order meeting.

"Prongs, would you stop it? You know we're not supposed to ask her…" Remus said wearily as he walked into the sitting room, nudging the raven-haired Gryffindor to sit on the couch in order to make room for him. Lily, Mary, Hermione and Alice sat around the kitchen table while Remus, Peter, James, Sirius and Frank were in the sitting room.

James shrugged as he stood up to sit. "Reckoned it was worth a shot…And you know, maybe we're just worried about you, Mione," He said and sent a sly grin towards the kitchen.

Lily rolled her eyes at him and turned to look at Hermione. "As much as I hate to agree with James; we _are_ worried, but also, we _understand_ if you can't tell us about your mission," She said with a supportive smile after briefly narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. Mary and Alice nodded in agreement.

Hermione gave her friends a tight smile. "I really can't talk about it, but I promise you, it's nothing dangerous. And I will tell you the minute I can," She said, trying to sound reassuring. She hated lying to her friends, but she knew she just couldn't reveal how dangerous the mission truly was. Everyone seemed to take her word for it, everyone except one.

Sirius gave Hermione a scrutinising look from the armchair where he was situated. "Hermione, can I have word?" He asked with an expressionless voice. The others eyed them curiously.

Hermione lifted her brows a bit. "Sure. Let's, um…go upstairs, okay?" She asked and stood up from her seat. She knew their friends were eyeing them with interest, and probably drawing their own conclusions from the sudden moment of privacy.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked as soon as he closed the door to Hermione's bedroom behind him. He leaned against the door and stared her with a hint of suspicion in his grey eyes.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?" She reckoned acting oblivious would help.

"Don't play vague with me. I know your mission has something to do with your visit to Hogwarts last week." He said plainly.

 _Or not._

Hermione sighed. "Well, even if it does, I can't see how –"

"Has it something to do with…with my brother?" He asked bluntly, interrupting her.

She gaped at him, trying to give him an answer but failing. He got the confirmation from her dumbfounded expression.

Sirius gave a mirthless laugh. "Thought so…" He muttered, threading his fingers through his black locks.

"So what are you up to? What has he done?" He asked blankly.

Hermione huffed. "You know I can't speak of it. And he hasn't done anything," She said incredulously.

He gave her a quizzical brow. "You can't talk about it with me…but you can with him? You do remember I know about his role and the part you play…?" He muttered, referring to Regulus being a spy and Hermione being his contact.

Hermione caught a hint of bitterness in his voice. She looked down and grimaced slightly before she answered. "I know. But it's, um…different. It's complicated," She said evasively.

Sirius scoffed. "After all this time, you still don't trust me enough to include me in on your secret missions…I bet Reggie knew from the start, huh?" He asked harshly, and when her eyes widened a bit, he continued, "Thought I didn't realise? You asked for my patience, but at the same time, you told everything to him? Everything I wanted to know…" He muttered sullenly.

Hermione tried to swallow the lump that had formed into her throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell him. Not at first, at least. I wanted to tell _you!_ But I couldn't. It was too dangerous…" She tried to explain with frustration.

"Don't lie to me." He said wearily, shaking his head.

"I'm not lying. He read my mind." Hermione said quietly.

"W-What?" Sirius asked in bewilderment, staring at her with surprise.

Hermione gave him a small nod.

Sirius huffed. "So, is that's what I should do?" He asked, looking at her sceptically.

"No. Of course not," Hermione said, slightly affronted.

Sirius stared at her silently for a moment. "You love him, don't you?" He asked, as if the thought only dawned on him.

She looked at him in bewilderment. _How in the name of Circe, Merlin and Morgana had he figured that out? Were all her bloody emotions somehow displayed on her forehead?!_

"I…W-Where did that come from?" She stammered, trying to gather her thoughts.

He clenched his jaw. "Well? Do you?" He asked with a demanding voice as he took a couple of steps closer towards her.

Hermione gripped the desk she was leaning on, her knuckles going white. How had their conversation come to this? And what was she supposed to say to him?

She decided to be honest with him. "Yes…I do." She whispered, looking at him straight in the eye. "But…I know I have feelings towards you as well." She said with her voice wavering a bit.

He gave a dry laugh. "Merlin's fucking bollocks. That is just. I dunno. Greedy." He said with a perplexed look and shook his head. Hermione pressed her lips together when he came to stand in front of her.

"You can't do that…You know?" He said sharply, his brow creasing in thought.

Hermione nodded. "I know," she said weakly.

"And you have to make a decision," he continued, staring at her expectantly.

"I know." She said quietly, feeling embarrassed as she looked away from his demanding eyes.

They were silent for a long time, until Sirius sighed and rubbed his neck. "I can't fucking believe I'm saying this, but…Reggie…means a lot to me…" He said slowly, staring somewhere over her shoulder. "And if you decide it's him you want," He took a deep breath and swallowed, turning his gaze into her eyes. "Then…I'll be okay with it. I promise." He said gravely.

When Hermione didn't reply but only stared at him with a stunned expression, he continued, "I have to go. We're gathering at Hogsmeade in an hour. So…I guess I'll see you around," He said quietly, leaning towards her. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and after a final intense look into her eyes, he turned and exited the room.

Hermione was speechless. _What? How? Why?_ were the questions running in her head. Didn't her relationship with Sirius end because he wanted to protect her and couldn't be with her? So…now he had changed his mind? Had he decided that they could be together regardless of the possible threats towards her?

And then there was Regulus…she didn't even know if the possibility to have a relationship with him even existed anymore. As long as they were in war it seemed doubtful, and even if they both managed to survive the war, then what?

She took a deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts. She needed to focus on the mission. She needed to focus on acquiring the locket. She could only hope that everything would go smoothly in the cave. And that she would be returning with preferably all her limbs still attached to her torso and her mind unbroken.

"Hermione?" Remus's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Hmm? Come in," She said absently, and a moment later he stood at the doorway.

Remus studied her for a bit before he spoke. "You okay?"

She nodded and smiled reassuringly.

"I'm going now…Everyone else left already." He said uneasily. "Hermione…um…is there something going on with you and…Sirius?" He asked and gave her a slightly uncomfortable look. She could've sworn he was going to ask about someone else entirely. If he had heard her talk with Sirius, which probably wasn't that hard with his lupine hearing, he had probably heard them speaking about Regulus as well.

Hermione cleared her throat. "No," She said plainly. It was the truth… _Sort of…_

Remus nodded slowly. "So…I'll see you later tonight? Either in the raid or at home, right?" He asked, and she knew he wasn't asking to pry information about her mission, but merely making sure she would be safe.

"Yes. I reckon I'll be back before midnight, hopefully a lot earlier." She said unsurely.

He gave her another nod. "Okay. Stay safe, yeah?" He said before he turned to walk away.

"You too. Keep everyone safe, okay?" She said softly.

He turned back to wink at her. "Don't I always."

She smiled at him and then he turned on the spot and disapparated.

* * *

A couple of hours later it was almost two in the afternoon, and Hermione was startled by the sound of her floo. She had been so engrossed with her thoughts that she hadn't realised the time. Gideon and Regulus were arriving, as they had agreed.

With the help of her Pensieve, she had been going through her memories of Harry explaining to her and Ron about the cave, and the sitting room table was filled with her notes as well as an assortment of books. It had been difficult, seeing him and Ron in a memory, but Hermione had forced herself to focus only on what had been said. No was not the time to wallow in sorrow and memory lane.

She quickly flicked her wand to organise the parchments and to tidy up the place before she stood up, nervously staring at the fireplace.

Regulus walked into her apartment first, cleaning the soot with the help of his wand before turning to Hermione.

"Hey." He said tentatively.

She smiled and greeted him back just as Gideon came through the fireplace.

"Hermione," Gideon said with a wide grin and walked to her, enveloping her into a quick hug.

Regulus eyed their embrace with interest.

As they broke off, Hermione spoke. "Well, hello to you too, Prewett," She said with a small smirk and eyed her guests. "Shall we sit?" She asked awkwardly.

Gideon nodded and sat into an armchair, leaving the couch to Hermione and Regulus. Gideon eyed the Pensieve in surprise. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked with an impressed tone.

"Depends. Did you think it was a Pensieve?" She asked with a wry smile.

Gideon rolled his eyes, and Hermione could see Regulus's mouth quirking up a bit from the corner of her eye.

"It is, actually. I've been reminiscing the first time I heard about the place where we are going today, and hopefully managed to write everything down for us," She said agitatedly, glancing at the stack of parchments.

Regulus's mouth curved up. "I'm sure you have." He said quietly.

"Oh, how did our red herring work? Did everything go as we planned?" She asked from Regulus, glancing at Gideon for confirmation.

They both nodded.

"Poppy has forbidden anyone from entering the hospital wing today, because of a highly contagious stomach flu Regulus apparently has…" Gideon said with a chuckle.

"Well, let's hope that that's enough to keep your friends from suspecting anything." Hermione said to Regulus, who gave her a bitter smile when she mentioned his 'friends'.

Gideon rubbed his hands together. "So…Shall we go through the plan before we leave?" He asked with a serious expression, all humour now gone from his face.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Let's do that. But first, would you like to have some tea?" She asked, and after both Gideon and Regulus nodded and murmured their thanks, Hermione flicked her wand towards the kitchen and levitated a tea tray onto the table in front of them. They sipped their drinks in silence for a moment before Hermione put her cup back on the table and picked up her notes.

"At first, I'd like to remind you that I haven't been in the cave myself, and only heard a description from my friend, as well as from Regulus, who told me what he heard from Kreacher.

Gideon and Regulus both nodded.

"That being said…Apparently it is not possible to apparate inside the cave, but…since we have Kreacher to help us –" She said and turned to look at Regulus for confirmation. He nodded and she continued "– we should be able to apparate at least at the entrance, right outside the cave," She explained.

"Wait…Why are we apparating outside? I understand we can't apparate onto the island, since there's a risk of waking up the Inferi, but why can't we go inside the cave instead?" Gideon asked, frowning at her.

Hermione shook her head. "There's a price that must be paid – a blood sacrifice to be correct, to open the door. It is possible that there are charms placed inside which would recognise if the sacrifice was not made and then alert Vol – _him,"_ She corrected as she saw the look Regulus gave her. "It is also possible that _he_ will be alerted as soon as we step inside the cave, even if we make the sacrifice. Although I doubt it, since he didn't know when, um…" She said carefully, glancing at Regulus. "When Harry was there. So, we should be okay."

Gideon threaded a hand through his red hair and sighed. "Well, okay then. Outside it is. Then what?"

Hermione worried her lip. "Well, before we enter the cave, one of us should take the de-ageing potion. I know that the boat will carry only one adult to the island, and it is possible that the door to the cave will do the same – allow only one adult inside. There is a problem with the potion though. The trace for underaged witches and wizards could be activated." She said with a troubled look.

Gideon stared at his cup thoughtfully.

"I'll take it. The potion." Regulus said simply.

Hermione and Gideon both eyed him with surprise.

"I can't use my wand even though I am of age. He'll know…" He said quietly, and Hermione nodded slowly. It made sense. And it also caused a problem she hadn't anticipated.

"Okay, Regulus is going to be de-aged, and possibly only one adult can enter the cave. If both of us can, then only you two can travel to the island. So, I'm either outside or at the shore?" Gideon asked from Hermione, looking a bit irked by the revelation. Hermione was glad he wasn't even suggesting for her to stay behind.

Hermione sighed. "I'm afraid so…" She said and cleared her throat. "So, once inside, we'll search for the boat, and then move towards the island, hopefully not noticed by the Inferi." It sounded simple enough in her head, but she knew the reality was far from it.

"Should they attack, I reckon we all should remember that the creatures fear light and warmth, so…use a fire-summoning spell. I've read that the Inferi are enchanted by their master to avoid flames?" She explained, and glanced at Gideon for confirmation.

"Correct." Gideon said with a curt nod.

Regulus cleared his throat. "Kreacher mentioned something about drinking the water. I gathered we're not supposed to touch it, and even less drink it, but…Why would the elf do that?" He asked, eyeing Hermione curiously. She hadn't really told him about the poison, or the fact that she was supposed to drink it.

"Um…The object we are trying to get is lying at the bottom of a basin in the middle of the island," She started, careful of not mentioning the words 'Horcrux' or 'locket', in case Voldemort was trying to fish certain topics from Regulus's mind. Regulus gave her a nod, as he knew this already.

"The basin is filled with a certain kind of potion – the same one Kreacher had to drink. It can't be penetrated by hand, vanished, parted, scooped up, or siphoned away, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or otherwise made to change its nature. The only option is to drink it. The potion will devastate one's mind, and one of the side-effects is that the drinker will have intense thirst, driving them to drink water from the lake," She explained carefully. Gideon gave her a dubious look.

Regulus stared at her blankly.

Hermione took a deep breath and stared into Regulus's eyes. "I need you to take the artefact from the basin as soon as I have finished drinking the potion. And make sure I'm not going near the water," She said, glancing at Gideon, who nodded with his jaw clenched, even though it was uncertain if he was even going to be in the cave with them. "You can't use magic, but you are stronger than me, so just, I dunno. Knock me unconscious if you need to?" Hermione said and gave Regulus a shrug.

"No." Regulus said with a small shake of his head.

Hermione frowned at him. "What do you mean, no?"

"I'm drinking the potion, Hermione." He said defiantly. "I'm already taking the de-ageing potion, which will practically make me useless with magic if I have the trace on me. And…you can't seriously expect me to watch you suffer?" He said quietly, his eyes blazing at her.

She huffed. "Now is not the time to be heroic, Reg."

Regulus gave her an incredulous look. "Who's being heroic? It only makes sense that I drink it. You know that."

"I won't put you through that," Hermione said stubbornly.

Gideon groaned and rolled his eyes.

Regulus took her hand and brushed his thumb over her wrist, tracing the bracelet he had given her, while staring into her eyes. Hermione could see a mixture of emotions cross them. "Do you remember what I told you when I asked you to never take this off?" He said quietly, glancing at the bracelet.

Of course she remembered. How could she not remember?

' _Your life over mine._ ' He had whispered, pleading her to never take the bracelet off.

No one had ever spoken to her like he had. She had been utterly out of her depth. His words had caused an ache in her soul that still threatened to shake off every bit of self-control she possessed.

Hermione swallowed hard. She felt her eyes stinging, and she quickly looked away, blinking rapidly and clearing her throat.

"I, um…agree with Regulus," Gideon said with an uncomfortable look and turned to look at the younger man. "It's a beastly thing, drinking that potion, I'm sure. But Hermione has the antidote ready, right?" He said, glancing at her.

Hermione stared back silently before she sighed. "I have. That doesn't mean I'm okay with this." She said glumly.

Regulus's mouth curved into a smirk. "You don't have to be okay with it. But you have to play your part," he said astutely.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and could see Regulus suppress a grin.

Gideon cleared his throat. "Great. So…If the lovers' quarrel is now settled…" He said and gave Hermione a teasing grin as she whirled to look at him with a deep scowl on her face.

 _Bloody Prewett._

Regulus coughed silently, staring intently at the floor.

"Should we move on?" Gideon asked after schooling his expression.

Hermione sniffed with displeasure before she spoke. "So… _Regulus_ will be the one who drinks the poison, while I will make sure the object is acquired and that we travel safely back to the shore and away from the cave," She said bitterly.

"Does the entrance require anything when we leave, or can we just walk outside?" Regulus asked with a thoughtful look.

Hermione racked her brains and glanced at her notes. "There is probably a similar sacrifice to be made," She said with a grimace.

"Of course," Regulus said dryly.

"Okay. So, once we are outside, we apparate here, and then Gideon can escort Regulus back to the school?" Hermione concluded, eyeing the men expectantly.

Both of them nodded in agreement.

* * *

Soon they were by the raging sea, away from everyone else, facing the entrance to the cave. Or so she reckoned.

"Where's the door?" Hermione muttered, squinting at the smooth rock wall in front of them. The sun was slowly descending behind them, and she could feel a cool evening breeze brush her back. It was getting colder, and Hermione shivered a bit despite her warm winter cloak.

After going through their plan, Regulus had summoned Kreacher and requested the elf to take all of them in front of the entrance of the cave by the sea. Kreacher had been horrified, and had probably thought that it would be expected to go inside again. Regulus had promised his elf that it would not be harmed again, and that Regulus would protect it. He had sent the elf away as soon as they had landed, with strict orders to not say a word about it to anyone. Regulus had then proceeded to gulp down the de-ageing potion, and after Hermione and Gideon both had made sure it had been successful, they had started to search for the entrance.

She waved her wand again, trying to detect any traces of magic while Gideon was doing the same at the other end of the wall.

"It's here!" Gideon said hastily. Hermione and Regulus walked to him.

"This has to be it," Gideon said while tracing his fingers over the stone.

Hermione flicked her wand on the wall but nothing happened. "You sure?" She whispered with suspicion.

Gideon nodded. "Yeah. I can feel the magic," He said, his hand hovering an inch away from the wall.

Hermione tried not to look impressed, but failed. "So…we just…offer it blood, I guess."

She took a deep breath and held her hand in front of her, palm up. She didn't have the chance to lift her wand before Regulus caught her wrist.

"Reg…I have to." She said and gave him a strained look. "The wards won't recognise you as a wizard anymore. You're underage. And if Gideon does it, there's a chance I can't enter." She said matter-of-factly. In truth, she had no idea whether she could enter if Gideon was the one to make the sacrifice, but she wasn't going to take the risk.

Regulus sighed and let her hand go.

She pressed her lips together and moved her wand vertically over her palm, drawing out blood. She let out a whimper of pain, and at the same time Regulus cursed silently, gritting his teeth. Gideon eyed them both anxiously.

Hermione fought back a wave of nausea as she saw Regulus's hand, which was equally bloody as hers. She gave him a remorseful look before she quickly pressed her palm against the wall. Instantly an opening appeared. With a nervous glance towards the others, she walked through the opening, into the dark cave, lighting her wand as she went. Regulus immediately followed her, and Gideon walked behind him, successfully entering the cave.

After Gideon had stepped inside, the entrance was closed again. And it was dark. Even with Gideon's wand giving them another ball of light, Hermione blinked for several moments before her sight started to adjust to the darkness. They were standing in a large chamber with an underground lake. Hermione could see the island in the centre, from where a faint green light was emanating. She took a step forward, stumbling a bit on the uneven ground. Regulus steadied her, and she gave him a tight smile in thanks.

"Give me your hand." Hermione whispered to Regulus, who lifted his palm up so that she could heal the cut.

Gideon eyed them suspiciously. "What is going on?" He asked as Hermione studied Regulus's hand – the wound was even deeper than hers.

"Nothing. I'll explain to you later," She said tightly to Gideon before she turned to Regulus, arching her brow pointedly. She _knew_ the effect on him had been worse than he had implied. Regulus gave her a non-committal shrug before she pressed the tip of her wand on his palm with a frustrated sigh. The wound sealed up, leaving only dried blood as evidence. She pursed her lips at him with disapproval before healing her own palm.

They returned their gazes towards the shore in search for the boat.

"It can't be summoned?" Gideon asked, even though he knew it couldn't, as he walked along the edge of the great black lake.

"No, not this time…" Hermione said wryly, remembering her gobsmacked reaction as she had managed to summon the diary at Malfoy Manor. "Based on what Harry told me, the Inferi will intercept our spells." She said and pointed her finger to some feet away. "There, I can see a chain. That must be the boat," She whispered and approached the spot. The eeriness and the threat of the dead corpses made her want to be as quiet as possible, and she reckoned the others felt the same way.

They managed to reel in a tiny boat, and as it surfaced, the water flowed back into the lake quietly, rippling briefly before going still once again.

The boat was small. Hermione started to worry if two could even fit into it.

"Let's go." Regulus muttered to her, climbing into the boat and holding his hand out for Hermione to get in. She followed him into the boat, and could only hope that the de-ageing potion would work, and that the boat would carry them safely to the island.

Just as she had squeezed to sit down next to Regulus, the boat began to move away from the shore.

"Fuck. Just…stay safe okay?" Gideon cursed silently, eyeing helplessly as the boat made its way away from the shore.

Hermione gave him a reassuring nod, but didn't dare to speak, trying to not disturb the water and the creatures that lay underneath. Instead she gripped Regulus's hand tightly, trembling with fear. He let out a nervous breath and laced their fingers together.

It was unsettling, as it seemed like the surface of the lake did not even ripple as the boat travelled across the water, and the only thing she could hear was the faint clatter of the chain against the boat. She couldn't even see Gideon anymore, but she knew he would be on the shore, waiting for them. The faint green light was growing brighter and brighter, until they reached the small island at the centre of the lake. Hermione and Regulus quickly jumped off the boat as it touched the stone and remained still.

They both stared at the basin, where they saw an emerald green liquid swirling slowly, with a small cup standing atop the rim. Hermione approached the basin, and Regulus followed closely, not letting go of her hand.

"That's it? The thing?" He whispered, his eyes trained at the bottom of the basin, where a golden, shimmering locket sat.

"Yeah," She breathed, swallowing nervously as she stared at him.

He gave her hand a squeeze and dropped it, taking the cup in it instead.

"Reg…" Hermione whispered desperately, not really certain what it was she wanted to say to him.

He stared at her, undecided for a moment. Then he leaned towards her and pressed his lips against hers softly, his shaking breath tickling her skin. The kiss was over as fast as it had started.

"Everything's going to be okay, love." He said, trying to sound reassuring before he turned towards the basin and filled the cup with the greenish potion. Hermione could see that he was terrified.

What scared her even more, was that she knew there was the possibility that she would have to force the poison down his throat, and she already dreaded the moment. She knew it was their only shot, and the entire potion had to be drunk in order to get the Horcrux.

Regulus closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, steadying himself before he opened his eyes, locked his gaze on Hermione's and brought the cup to his lips.

He tipped it and drank.

Hermione stared at him in distress, her breathing quickened, trying to gauge his reaction.

For a moment, Regulus was completely still. He swallowed deeply and lowered the cup, his eyes darkening a bit. He reached over to the basin and filled the cup again, tossing the liquid down. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw Regulus shudder, grimacing at the cup.

Wordlessly, he held out the cup to Hermione with trembling fingers. She knew what she had to do. Hermione took the cup quickly and refilled it. Regulus grasped it and unsteadily brought it to his lips, emptying it with a choking sound. Hermione held her breath as she took the goblet from his hands.

Regulus began to shake uncontrollably.

"Reg!" Hermione said apprehensively.

"Fill it," He gasped, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand to muffle a sob that threatened to escape from her lips. She had to focus on the locket. She refilled the cup and placed it between his hands. He stared at it for a long moment before finally drinking it empty.

Regulus moaned loudly, the cup falling to the ground as he doubled over and yelled in pain.

"Regulus!" Hermione cried, rushing beside him and wrapping her arms around him, trying to soothe him. He was trembling intensely, his face twisted in agony.

Hermione gritted her teeth and refilled the goblet, bringing it to his lips. "Reg, drink this. This will help, I promise. You have to drink all of it and then you'll feel better…"

He let out a sharp breath of relief and took a hold of her hand that was clutching the cup. Hermione tilted the cup and Regulus drank the liquid quickly. He groaned loudly, his whole body juddering as his knees gave out and he slumped to the ground.

"Please…stop…make it stop…" Regulus gasped in anguish.

"Couple of more, then it will stop…just drink, please Reg. You have to…" Hermione said, her voice cracking as she brought the full cup to his mouth. "Soon it'll be over…"

Regulus drained it again, and his cries became harder, his voice more high-pitched.

"Please…I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Don't make me do it, please! Please, please, please…" Regulus pleaded, his eyes filled with fear.

Hermione pressed her lips together and swallowed bile from her throat. With shaking hands, she filled the cup again with potion and brought it towards Regulus.

"This will help, Reg, this will help," She said, her voice wavering and her hands still shaking. "It's not real, Reg…It's in your head. The potion's messing with your head, I promise! We're almost done, just drink this…"

Regulus drank obediently, and then his body convulsed violently. He wrenched himself away from Hermione's embrace and lunged towards the water. Hermione let out a scream of surprise and hurt as her head collided with the stone under the basin.

"Reg!" She moaned, crawling towards him as he lay a couple of feet further, punching the ground with his fists and crying in pain. She could see his knuckles were already bloodied from hitting the stone.

Hermione took her wand flicked it towards him. " _Mobilicorpus!"_

Regulus stilled, unable to move, and it was as if some invisible strings were tied to his body, carrying him towards her when Hermione gave another flick of her wand.

"Please don't make me do it, don't! Please!" He cried as she lifted the spell.

Hermione took deep breaths as Regulus writhed in pain and tried to harm himself to lessen the mental pain he was most likely feeling. She choked back a sob as she refilled the goblet again and saw that the potion in the basin was more than halfway finished. She leaned towards Regulus and stroked his hair soothingly. "Just one more. Okay love? Just drink one more."

He took the cup, emptied it quickly and staggered backwards, weeping as he begged for Hermione to stop.

"Please…please…" He sobbed weakly, his face twisting in terror.

"Regulus, love…I promise we're almost done," Hermione said, her voice thick with emotion.

"No… _Don't_ …" He pleaded her, his voice breaking, a couple of stray tears running down his cheeks after Hermione tipped the contents of another filled cup down his throat.

Hermione began to cry in earnest when Regulus screamed again, the sound of him causing an unbearable pain in her heart. Pressing her trembling lips together, she refilled the goblet once more. They were almost done; just one more and she could get a hold of the locket.

Regulus drank, and the moment he had finished, he whispered, "P-Please…kill m-me…m-make it s-stop." His words were slightly slurred, and his eyes were rolling in his head.

Hermione swallowed deeply, gritting her teeth to focus on the mission. "This…this one will," She croaked, filling the goblet with the last of the potion. "Just drink this, Reg, and it'll be all over!"

Regulus whined and gulped it down, every last drop, and dropped the goblet as he went limp and fell to the ground.

"Reg!" Hermione screamed, trying to lift him up. "No, no, no, please!" She cried and panicked. Before she could do anything, he stirred awake.

"W-Water," Regulus mumbled. "Please."

"Water…No, I'm sorry Reg but I can't," Hermione said and hastily stood up. Regulus started to crawl towards the lake. She pointed her wand at his back and hesitated for a moment. Now was not the time to follow her moral obligations.

" _Imperio!_ " She whispered, and instantly Regulus stilled and went quiet. Hermione let out a shaky breath and grabbed the locket from the basin and pushed it into her beaded bag.

"Regulus…Just relax and walk down to the boat with me," She said, trying to calm her voice. To her utter surprise, he did exactly what she told him to. She reckoned he was too weak to fight back, since she doubted her curse was that strong. It was offhandedly cast due to her stress and the lack of willpower. But it seemed to work, and that was all that mattered.

They reached the boat, and Hermione could feel the air go darker and heavier. She could see movement under the surface of the lake. Fear rippled through her. What if they didn't survive the trip back?

"Climb into the boat," Hermione whispered to Regulus, her eyes darting around the water. Regulus obliged, still quiet as he sat down in the boat and stared lazily ahead. Hermione followed him in and then the boat began to move on its own again, gliding gently on the still black water.

Soon they were approaching the shore, and Hermione could see Gideon's silhouette, pacing along the edge of the lake. _Thank Merlin…_ Hermione thought and let out a soft sigh of relief.

Then several things happened at once.

"No!" Gideon shouted, and Hermione screamed in terror.


	38. The Locket

**A/N:** Here we go again! And...you know the drill; the raunchy version can be found in Ao3 ;) ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 38: The Locket**

 **November 11th 1978 (Saturday)**

Hermione knew she was screaming at the top of her lungs, but she couldn't hear her own voice. The only thing she could hear was the sound of blood that was coursing through her veins, and the words that were playing on repeat inside her head. ' _Don't let him die'_

There must have been hundreds of dead corpses around her, surfacing from the water and grasping their boat. Many of them had gripped Regulus, who was still in a haze and not putting up a fight, even though the Imperius Curse had broken the minute Hermione started to cast repelling charms on the Inferi.

"Hermione!" Gideon shouted from the shore where he was aiming spells at the lake. "Fire!"

 _Of course._ Screaming inwardly at her stupidity, she lifted her wand and cast a fire-summoning spell. From the tip of her wand the flames emanated, long and vast, circling the boat like a ring of fire. Regulus was already halfway dragged into the water when the Inferi holding him faltered, quickly escaping the flames.

"Reg!" Hermione cried as she waved her wand over her head, trying to keep the fire as close as possible. The boat started to move again after Regulus hauled himself back into it, using his last strength before going unconscious.

"No!" Hermione screamed. They were approaching the shore, and as soon as the boat touched the ground, Hermione vanished the flames. Gideon scampered towards the boat and together they dragged Regulus away from the lake, towards the cave's entrance. Hermione glanced over her shoulder, preparing to shoot another set of flames from her wand but it seemed that the Inferi were not attacking them anymore. The lake was still and silent again.

"Sorry I couldn't scorch the bloody arseholes, it was too risky…you could've got burned in the process," Gideon said anxiously, out of breath as they continued their walk upwards, Regulus leaning heavily on both of them.

Hermione waved her hand dismissively and tried not to think about Regulus and how he had suffered. "Don't worry about it. I still can't believe that I managed to forget how to repel them…" She said with a wavering voice and gave Gideon a frustrated look.

Gideon smiled sympathetically and glanced at Regulus who was still unconscious, pale as a ghost and his face and neck covered in small cuts and bruises caused by the assault of the Inferi, as well as his self-harm in the island. "Is he going to be okay?" Gideon asked nervously.

Hermione swallowed. "I hope so." She whispered, staring at Regulus with guilt and worry edged on her face.

As they reached the entrance of the cave, Gideon laid Regulus down on the ground while Hermione performed the blood sacrifice, granting them permission to leave the place. Before stepping outside, Hermione and Gideon both pointed their wands towards the opening. No one was there. Letting out the breath she was holding in, Hermione walked through the opening. Gideon followed her, levitating Regulus in front of him. The sound of the ocean was suddenly becoming louder and louder until it was right before them, crashing against the cliff where they stood at.

"Your place?" Gideon asked mutedly. Hermione could see he was far from calm and composed.

She nodded. "My bedroom," She said and disapparated.

* * *

Hermione had only a second to glance around her room and listen if anyone was home, before Gideon and Regulus apparated with a small faint pop. Regulus was moaning again.

"Put him on the bed," Hermione said hastily and flicked her wand towards the door, locking it and silencing the room.

While Gideon levitated Regulus on her bed, Hermione quickly gathered the necessary potions. She sat down next to him, while Gideon took a seat on the other side of the bed, watching her anxiously.

"What should I do?" Gideon asked.

"Hold him still," Hermione said when Regulus started to judder furiously. As Gideon held him down, Hermione pushed Regulus's hair from his face and tilted his head up. She pried his mouth open and poured the first potion down his throat, and was relieved when he swallowed it immediately. She repeated the process with three different potions until Regulus was stirring, his body relaxed.

"Everything's going to be okay Reg, I promise," Hermione told him, smoothing her fingers through his hair.

He stared at her drowsily. "Don't worry, love. I'll survive," He rasped silently, a ghost of a smile curving his lips. And then he passed out again.

Hermione frowned and waved her wand over his body, performing diagnostic spells to make sure he _was_ going to survive. It seemed so, and she finally let her shoulders sag with relief. Exhaustion took over then, and she started to cry silently.

"Hermione…" Gideon muttered, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes on the backs of her hands, choking down the sobs that were bubbling inside her. "I'm okay. I will be." She said and tried to swallow the lump from her throat, and then grimaced. "I smell like burnt flesh…Could you stay with him? I have to shower…" She said edgily. She needed a moment to herself. But she needed to know Regulus was going to be all right.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead." Gideon said and gave her a small smile.

After making sure no one else was in the house and sending the girls a message through the charmed galleon that she was okay, she turned around and headed straight into the bathroom. Her body took over, and she only vaguely noticed that she was shaking off her shoes and shrugging off her clothes, before she walked stiffly to the shower. As the water ran down her bare skin, warm and soothing, she sobbed wretchedly.

A while after, there were no more tears to cry and her breathing evened. The water was starting to get colder. She sighed and stepped out of the shower. She pulled on her pyjamas and threw on her dressing gown, taking in all the warmth she could get. Her thoughts drifted back to the events earlier that day. She didn't know if she had ever been that frightened in her life.

Sure, there had been many frightful moments throughout the years. One of them being their dreadful capture, the incident during which they had been dragged into the Malfoy Manor, where everything she knew had changed. When she had travelled through time and universe. Even then, in the midst of their capture, Hermione hadn't feared like she now had. What happened in the cave had been both terrifying and crushing. She had never been that afraid of losing someone.

Gideon stood up from the chair in front of her desk as she stepped into her bedroom.

"I should go." He said grimly. "The raid…"

"Oh." She mumbled, only then remembering it. She suddenly felt guilty for taking so much time in the shower. "I'm…I…" She stammered. She glanced at the clock and was shocked to notice it was already half past ten in the evening.

"It's all right, Hermione. Just…Stay with him, okay?" Gideon said reassuringly and walked over to her. "I'll come back in the morning. You should rest now," He said and leaned down to place a quick kiss on the top of her head before leaving.

"Stay safe, okay?" She asked quietly, chewing her lip with worry.

Gideon's mouth quirked up a bit. With a final nod to her, he disapparated.

Hermione took in a shaky breath and glanced at Regulus, who slept silently. Knowing that she couldn't sleep, she snatched a book from the shelf and let herself get lost in it.

After an hour or so, she heard a small crack from downstairs. Alerted, she sprung to her feet, her wand at the ready. Was it Remus? Or someone else? _Was it a friend, or an enemy?_ She thought anxiously and was about to cast protective enchantments when she heard Remus calling her.

She chewed the inside of her cheek and tiptoed out from her room, still a bit suspicious – it could've been someone imposing him, after all.

"Remus?" Hermione asked warily as she walked downstairs, her wand lifted and pointing at him.

"It's me, Mione." He said, lifting his hands up but keeping his wand tightly between his fingers.

Hermione arched a brow. "Prove it." She said softly. She knew this was her Remus, but she needed to be sure.

He smirked. "You love Regulus. And I can smell his scent coming from your room," he said simply, giving her a pointed look.

Hermione blushed furiously, her jaw dropping in surprise. She hadn't exactly expected _that_ to come out of his mouth. "I…um…he…" She stammered, trying to find correct words. "You heard my conversation with Sirius?" She asked sharply.

Remus smiled sheepishly. "Didn't want to, really." He said apologetically. "And I wasn't going bring it up, but it was the only thing that came to my mind that could convince you."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead walked quickly to him and enveloped him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad to see you, Remus," Hermione said, her voice muffled against his chest. She felt relieved to see her friend unharmed. "How was the raid? Is everyone okay?" She asked urgently, pulling away and trying to read the events from his eyes.

He sighed. "It wasn't good." When Hermione's eyes widened with fear, he lifted his hands and interrupted her thoughts. "Everyone's alive. Some are a bit more battered than the others, but I suppose the opposite side suffered more than we. Two Death Eaters were killed." He said grimly.

Hermione gaped at him. "Who?"

"Rodolphus Lestrange."

"No!" Hermione gasped in surprise. He certainly had been alive in her old life.

Remus looked stricken and concerned.

"What?" Hermione asked cautiously. She couldn't help but think that there was more to the story.

"There's something else…"

"What is it?" Hermione asked, feeling restless. She didn't like the look he gave her.

Remus cleared his throat. "Sirius killed him…" He said roughly.

Hermione drew a sharp breath, dumbfounded by the shocking events. "Merlin…" She whispered. "Bellatrix…" She managed to say, and Remus nodded grimly. Bellatrix would surely try to find revenge, since she already despised Sirius, and now even more so, as he had killed her husband.

"Oh, Godric…" Hermione muttered, her voice wavering. Sirius would have a target on his back after this. "How is he?" She asked anxiously.

Remus gave a noncommittal shrug. "Well, you know him…Trying to brush it off with humour. He's with Prongs and Lily."

Hermione sighed. "Well, at least he's not alone…" Hermione breathed, overwhelmed by the news. She was silent for a while before she spoke to him. "Who was the other one? The other Death Eater?"

"Greyback," He whispered, swallowing deeply.

Hermione's breath hitched. _Greyback_. Hermione was completely taken aback. She knew what this meant. To her, to him. Even if Remus didn't know about what Greyback had tried to do to her, she still knew what the beast had done to her friend.

"That's…" She managed to say, shaking her head with a stumped look. He nodded to her, his eyes brimming with tears.

She took a step towards him, enveloping him in a warm hug. Remus let out shuddering breaths against her neck.

"I can't fucking believe it…" He mumbled.

Hermione let out a nervous laugh as they broke off. "Me neither."

They stared at each other silently. Suddenly both of them burst in anxious laughter. They laughed uncontrollably for a good moment before the laughter faded, and they became serious again, overwhelmed by the knowledge.

Remus wiped his eyes and glanced upstairs, eyeing her questioningly.

"Let's just…not mention my conversation with Sirius to anyone?" She said with a tight smile. She knew Remus wouldn't say anything to anyone, but she also wasn't ready to discuss her feelings for the two Black boys with him yet.

Remus nodded slowly. "So…What is he doing in here?" He asked, eyeing her curiously.

"I, um…was with him today. But I can't tell you about it…Gideon was with us, but he left some time ago." She explained evasively.

"I know. I saw him. Gideon, I mean. So, you were in a mission together. But why is he in your bedroom?" He asked knowingly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes a bit. "Because he's hurt," She snapped.

His expression faltered. "Shit. How badly?" He asked with a troubled look.

"He's passed out at the moment but should be back in shape tomorrow." She said and rubbed her face with her hands. "I should get some sleep," She said, holding back a yawn.

"Yeah, sure. Me too." Remus muttered and together they walked upstairs, both disappearing behind their respective bedroom doors after bidding each other good night.

When Hermione closed the door and silenced the room again, she could see Regulus trashing on the bed, moaning slightly in his sleep.

"Reg?" She whispered, walking slowly towards him.

His shirt was glued to his chest, and she could see the roots of his hair covered with beads of sweat as well. Her insides jolted with concern. She quickly performed the diagnostic spells on him, but found nothing alarming.

"Regulus?" Hermione said and sat down on the bed next to him, threading her fingers through his hair.

He stirred. "Love?" He grunted silently, his grey eyes finding hers.

"I'm here. How are you feeling?" She asked hesitantly.

"I'm…I'm fine." He muttered tiredly, his fingertips brushing her thigh.

He was far from fine, but she didn't feel the need to point it out to him. "Do you want something? Drink? Food?" She asked as she adjusted his pillows.

"You." He breathed.

Hermione spluttered. "W-What?"

He looked at her with a pained expression, and with a frustrated sigh, he reached out and grabbed her arm, and pulled her forward and on top of him. She barely had a chance to steady herself with her other hand, that was resting next to his head before he took a hold of her neck and pulled her closer to him, crashing his lips against hers in a soft, but passionate kiss. She was caught out of guard, and remained still for a moment, but eventually pressed her palm flat against his chest and kissed him back.

The taste of his lips felt so familiar and so sweet, so good that she wanted to melt into him. When he pulled away slightly, out of breath and staring at her with dark, lusty eyes, Hermione bit her lip and spoke to him. "We shouldn't." She muttered and stood up to sit on the edge of the bed. "I can sleep on the couch."

"No. Stay," Regulus said softly.

Hermione swallowed and looked at him with confusion.

"Please," He said quietly, staring at her intently. "I need you." he whispered.

Her heart ached because of his words, and she wanted nothing more than to press herself against him. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

His fingertips trailed down her back. "Please, Hermione…"

She took in a shaky breath. She was too weak. She craved him too much. "I need you too," She whispered, staring into his eyes.

Regulus's mouth curved into a small smile and he stood up to sit on the bed, close to her. As he started to take his clothes off while holding her gaze, Hermione sat still and watched him, chewing her lip as she tried to gather her thoughts. She knew very well where this was heading and yet she had decided to follow it through. Was it wise? Surely not, but she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted him. She needed him. And she missed him.

Regulus stripped himself naked, and then turned to look at her. He wasn't ashamed of his body, and his gaze softened as she eyed at his body appreciatively. _Circe, how many times she had dreamt of him!_ She knew they shouldn't be doing this, and she knew that he too would probably regret it later, but she could only think how perfect he was, how safe she felt with him, and how loved he made her feel.

Hermione felt her cheeks warm as her eyes followed the angles of his hard but lean body. "You're so beautiful," She muttered absent-mindedly.

Regulus laughed. "Not really the words I was expecting, but thank you," He said, blushing slightly before he continued, "Although…I think you're the beautiful one." He shuffled closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She gave him a sweet smile in return.

"Now…I think you're wearing far too many pieces of clothing," He murmured, his fingers brushing against the tie of her dressing gown, and after giving her an intense look he leaned closer to her, nuzzling her neck lightly.

Hermione's breath caught but she managed to arch a brow at him. "I am?"

"Definitely," He breathed, mouthing her neck softly, sending shivers down her spine.

She slid away from the bed, shrugged out of her dressing gown and took off her pyjamas. Regulus swallowed hard, looking like he was seeing something which has long been desired.

"You're stunning," He murmured, holding his hand out for her. "Come here, love."

Slowly, Hermione moved forward until she was standing in front of him. His eyes roamed over her body hungrily before he stood up. He was so close, that their bodies were touching. He reached out gently and stroked the line of her jaw with the tips of his fingers.

"You have no idea how much I have missed you," he whispered, his eyes meeting hers.

Hermione's mouth curved into a smile. "I've missed you too."

Carefully, Hermione took his face between her hands and pulled him down to meet her lips. Regulus groaned and kissed her back with raw hunger, taking a hold of her hips and pressing his fingers against her skin.

A while after, Hermione and Regulus were lying on Hermione's bed, their naked bodies tangled together as they both tried to catch their breaths. They stayed like that for several minutes, coming down from the high.

Hermione rested her head against his shoulder, worrying her lip. She knew she shouldn't have said the words to him. _I love you._ It wasn't like she didn't mean them, but…it only made things harder, for both of them.

"You okay, love?" He murmured, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose…"

He gently pulled himself off of her, propping up on his elbow. "What is it?" Regulus asked and pulled the comforter over their naked bodies. He eyed her worriedly for a moment before he frowned and looked away. "I'm sorry."

"Why? You…regret what we did?" She asked hesitantly, taking in a shaky breath. Even if she knew what they did wasn't wise, or rational, she still couldn't regret what had happened.

"Merlin, no." Regulus said roughly, his eyes staring at her with such vulnerability she wanted to envelope him into a crushing hug, to soothe him, to cherish him.

"I'm sorry that I can't be what you deserve," He said solemnly, staring at her with his grey eyes filled with such honesty, that she could feel his words in her soul.

Hermione shook her head, rejecting his words. "But you are, Reg." She said softly. "You're a good person. You're doing the right thing," she said earnestly.

"You can't be serious," He grunted with annoyance. "I'm a Death Eater, remember?" She heard the bitterness in his voice.

She sighed. "I know what you are. But I know you don't want it. I know you are fighting for the Light," She said persistently, staring into his eyes intently.

He gave her a devastated look. "I've killed someone. I've killed people." He spat, and Hermione shuddered at his cold words. "Am I still a good person?" He asked ruthlessly.

Hermione knew he was trying to put distance between them by saying those things. She knew, but it still hurt. She took his hand, laced their fingers and held his gaze, a single tear escaping from the corner of her eye.

Regulus turned his eyes at their joined hands, clenching his jaw. "Do…do you regret it? Do you regret us?" He asked quietly, not looking at her.

"No. Of course not. I've never regretted anything we have shared," She said sincerely and leant forward to place a hesitant kiss on his lips. He answered to her kiss immediately, licking and nipping her lips with a languorous pace, desperate for her.

She knew he was now trying to distract himself from feeling anything but lust. Before things started to become heated again, she pulled back slightly. "Let's go to sleep, okay? Gideon will be here in the morning, and I have to catch some sleep before tomorrow's ordeal…" She said, stifling a yawn. She could see the walls in his mind closing.

"You're going to destroy it?" He said mutedly.

"Mmm-Hmm," She hummed, her eyelids becoming heavier and heavier.

He huffed. "I don't like it."

Hermione's mouth quirked up a bit. "I know, Reg." She snuggled closer to him, breathing in his soothing scent and slowly falling into a slumber. "Good night, love." She mumbled, half asleep already.

Regulus sighed, pulling her against him. "Good night."

* * *

 **November 12th 1978 (Sunday)**

The next morning Hermione woke up finding Regulus still in her bed, holding her back tightly against his chest. She snuggled closer, enjoying the warmth of his body. Regulus stirred almost immediately, taking in a sharp breath. When she heard him groan quietly, she turned her head to look at him and found him blinking at her, his lips curved up in a small, sleepy smile.

"Hey." He mumbled.

She turned around to face him and studied his relaxed features. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"Horny."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Regulus cracked a smile. "I'm okay. A bit hungry though," He said.

She gave her a warm smile. "I'll make you some breakfast as soon as I've checked your vitals."

She stood up to sit on the edge of the bed and took her wand from the nightstand, waving it over his body and muttering under her breath. Regulus eyed her amusedly as she concentrated on the results.

"Everything seems to be in good condition. The antidote worked. You're all good." She said and gave him a satisfied look.

Regulus smirked and then his face fell. "You on the other hand…" he muttered slowly as he lifted his hand and traced his fingertips against her sternum, following the line of a deep, purple scar that crossed her chest.

Hermione's stomach dropped. She knew that he hadn't seen it before, and by the baffled look he now had, she knew that he was thinking back to the previous night and was probably wondering how he had missed it then.

"I know what this is," He said quietly, his eyes still on the scar, a deep frown between his brows. "I know what it does," he said, moving his eyes to meet hers. "But I have never seen anyone survive it."

"Reg…" Hermione said weakly. She could see him trying to control his anger, to close his mind.

"How did he do that?" He demanded, evidently knowing exactly who had been behind it.

Hermione sighed. It was an old scar, from a curse Dolohov had used against her in her fifth year. While she hadn't bothered covering up the other scars scattered on her body, gained from the numerous tribulations she had faced throughout her schoolyears, she had been quite adamant to conceal this one with charms every time she had been with Regulus. She knew he would have probably recognised it as a Death Eater curse – although how popular it was amongst them, she didn't know, until now, at least – and hadn't wanted him to question her. But last night, the thought of concealing it hadn't even crossed her mind. They weren't together, and she hadn't assumed that he would be seeing her naked.

"It's an old scar. From…from another time." She said with finality in her voice, not wanting to argue with him about the matter. She stood up and found a sweater lying on her armchair. She pulled it over her head, grabbed some clean underwear and sweatpants and got dressed. Regulus stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"I'll be downstairs. You can shower if you like, and…um…I can ask if Remus could lend you a fresh set of clothes," She muttered and after he gave her a muted nod, she left the room.

Once in the hallway, she took a deep breath and leaned against the closed door. After seeing Remus's door open, but the werewolf nowhere in sight, she assumed he was downstairs.

"Good morning. Slept well?" Remus asked with an amused look in his eyes as he prepared breakfast. Hermione stilled, and it was obvious that he knew exactly what had happened in her bedroom. "I mean, you certainly look pleased." He said teasingly, and Hermione groaned in exasperation. Remus laughed and handed her a cup of coffee.

She took it with a grateful smile and leaned against the counter, watching the eggs and bacon sizzle on the stove. "So…how are you holding up?" Hermione asked, eyeing Remus attentively.

He shrugged. "Dunno…Can't really wrap my head around it. And…I'm sort of gutted that I wasn't there to witness it. Or that I wasn't the one who…" He said with uncertainty, his voice trailing off.

"The one who killed him." She finished his sentence and bit her lip. "I'm glad you weren't." She said gravely.

"Hermione…There might come a time when all of us, even you, have to look away from our morals and do what is needed." He said softly. She knew what he meant. The Death Eaters didn't hesitate when killing someone. But…how many of them were like Regulus?

She wanted to change the subject, and not to linger in what Regulus had said to her last night. "Um…could you lend some of your clothes to Regulus?" She asked hesitantly. The clothes Regulus had worn the day before had endured a lot during their task in the cave, and she doubted they could be mended and cleaned with spells.

Remus nodded. "Sure. I'll grab some clothes for him," He said moved towards the stairs. He glanced back at her. "Is he okay?"

Hermione shrugged. "Seems to be."

"Okay." He said and disappeared upstairs.

Breakfast was…awkward. Regulus ate silently, freshly showered and dressed in Remus's clothes, which fit him quite nicely after a couple of small alterations. Hermione and Remus exchanged a few words, but they couldn't really speak about the raid, since they weren't sure how much they could say in front of Regulus, and they couldn't discuss about Hermione's and Regulus's mission either.

Hermione let out a breath of relief when their floo chimed, announcing that someone was coming through. Gideon. _Finally._

"Good morning," Gideon greeted everyone as he walked towards the kitchen.

Hermione, Remus and Regulus all murmured their mornings, and Gideon chuckled. "You lot sound like my Auror trainees who are facing a lecture instead of combat training." He said with an amused look and snatched a strip of bacon from the frying pan. Gideon had returned to the Auror academy, to train the Auror trainees, instead of going back to the field where his brother was. He'd said that he enjoyed teaching, but staying in Hogwarts in times like these – when the war was starting – he reckoned it was better to be closer to where everything happened.

"Dumbledore is waiting for you, Hermione. I told him I'll see if you're ready to come with us," Gideon said and nodded his head towards Regulus.

Hermione gave him a tight smile. "I'll just go and make myself ready. Be back in a bit." She said and moved hastily upstairs.

Ten minutes later she heard a faint knock on her door. "Come on in," She said absently as she made sure she had everything – including the Horcrux – in her beaded bag. She wouldn't dare to wear it this time.

Regulus walked into her room, closed the door and watched her silently as she sat on the bed, fiddling with her bag. "I hate this," He murmured as he leaned against the door.

Hermione gave him a sad smile. "Me too." She said and took a shaky breath. "I wish…I wish it wouldn't have to be like this. I wish we were together. I wish we could talk about anything and everything, and that we could see each other every day," she said, watching him dejectedly before she continued, "I wish we'd go for a romantic getaway, not for hiding, but to get away from everyone. And I wish I wouldn't have to go to sleep at night without you," She muttered and sniffled, trying to blink away the tears that burned her eyes.

He took a sharp breath and closed his eyes. "Where would we go?" He asked after a short silence.

Hermione smiled. "Dunno. Somerset, perhaps…I've heard there are some nice cottages around…" She said and cleared her throat. "We have to go."

Clenching his jaw, Regulus nodded and together they left towards Hogwarts.

* * *

"Sooo…How do we open it?" Fabian asked awkwardly as they stared at the locket that was lying on a stone podium in the middle of the cave in Letterfearn. They had worked on destroying it for quite a while already, and nothing had happened.

Gideon shrugged and turned to look at Dumbledore, who turned to Hermione.

"I honestly thought we _could_ destroy the locket with Fiendfyre without opening it," Hermione muttered and frowned at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled at her. "Not to worry. We will find a way to open it."

"Nothing else works? It can't be opened with a spell? Are we sure only a Parselmouth could do it?" McGonagall asked, eyeing the locket with disappointment.

"That seems to be the case, Minerva." Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

"That's not good." Fabian muttered. "Anyone know any Parseltongue?" He asked jokingly. Gideon shot a look at his brother, while Hermione suppressed a smile.

"Unfortunately, the language of serpents is not something you can learn from a book, or something that is taught. However, while I do not speak the language, I recognise some of the words, and may be able to recite them correctly to open the locket." Dumbledore said simply.

Gideon turned to eye him in confusion. "But if the language cannot be read or taught, how exactly are you able to learn the correct words?"

"That is the problem we should try to resolve. Although, there is one person amongst us who has been in close relation with one Parselmouth..." Dumbledore said pointedly. "Hermione, dear?" He asked and everyone turned to look at her.

"Have you by any chance heard your friend Harry to speak any words in Parseltongue?" Dumbledore asked kindly, eyeing her over his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione frowned in thought and nodded. "Some, yes. He mumbled in his sleep a lot when we were on the run last year…or…well. In the future," She muttered. "But I'm afraid I can't remember the specifics, and even if I did, I couldn't recount the words to you…" She said with a helpless shrug.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "What if I would finally take a look into your memories?"

Her eyes widened in recognition. _Of course! A Pensieve!_ Dumbledore could indeed learn the words from her memories. Assuming Harry had mumbled the correct words.

They decided to head towards the castle where Hermione could draw out the memories of hearing Parseltongue, and then Dumbledore would go through them. Eventually they had to call it a night, since the process ended up taking a lot more time they had anticipated, so they agreed to meet again in the cave in Letterfearn on Wednesday, next week.

* * *

 **November 15th 1978 (Wednesday)**

Hermione woke up early on Wednesday morning, anxious to get to work as soon as possible in order to get it over with. Normally she was eager to get to work because she really loved what she did in Viridian's company, but today she had something more pressing in her mind. They were going to meet in Letterfearn in the evening with the intention of destroying the locket. Before she would leave to Scotland, she had planned to prepare herself by practicing Occlumency. They all needed to prepare themselves against the locket, as it surely would try to attack and infiltrate their minds.

As Hermione walked downstairs, she was startled to see someone sprawled on their couch.

"Sirius?" She whispered, as she walked closer and found the raven-haired man snoring quietly in reply. The full moon had been last night and apparently Remus had come home with Sirius. She watched him for a moment, her eyes sweeping over his relaxed features. He looked so innocent, so young. Her heart wrenched with worry. What would happen to him? What if Bellatrix found her revenge? She smoothed his silky hair away from his forehead, her fingers lingering on his cheek.

He stirred, his mouth curving up a bit. "I could get used to waking up like this." He murmured with a sleepy voice, not opening his eyes. She pulled her hand off and he let out a small whine.

"How are you doing?" Hermione asked and sat on the edge of the couch, chewing the inside of her cheek as she watched him worriedly.

Sirius blinked. "Peachy," He said, yawning as he struggled to sit up. "Oh, fuck I'm tired," he grunted, blinking and rubbing his neck. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he muttered.

Hermione suppressed a smile. She knew Sirius would never be too old for frolicking in the woods with his best friends. "How was it? Last night?" She asked carefully.

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Okay, I s'pose."

"And Remus?"

Sirius gave her a wry smile. "Exceptionally dull, now when he's on the potion."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She studied his features for a bit. "I, um…I actually meant to ask you how you are doing after… _you know_ …" She said, flinching as she thought about the raid and what he'd done.

Sirius's eyes darkened and he scowled at her. "Don't wanna talk about it." He said through gritted teeth.

Hermione sighed. "Okay. Well, I'll be here if you change your mind," She said softly. Sirius was glaring at the floor.

"Would you like some coffee? Or sleep?" She asked while standing up and making her way towards the kitchen.

He shrugged. "I think I'll just head up to crash with Moony. You know how he just loves to wake up to me spooning him…" Sirius said and winked at her. He stood up and walked towards the stairs, yawning as he went.

"You can sleep in my bed if you want. I won't be back home until the afternoon. But only if you keep everything unsullied," She said with a warning in her tone.

Sirius chuckled and turned back to look at her. "Thanks, but no thanks. I crashed there yesterday, you know, when you were at work," He explained quickly when Hermione's eyes widened in shock and annoyance, and continued, "Let's just say unsullied is probably not the word you should go with," He said and eyed her knowingly, a sly smirk lifting his mouth. "I mean, I could recognise my brother's scent from a mile away."

Hermione flushed bright red with anger and embarrassment. _That bloody heightened sense of smell was causing her harm, yet again…_

He stared at her with a contemplative look before he turned and disappeared to the stairs.

Hermione cursed inwardly and stood in place, staring numbly at the space his back had been only seconds ago. She sighed. While she didn't regret what had happened with Regulus, she had wanted to think things through before facing Sirius. And now everything had gone the opposite she had planned. Again.

Huffing with annoyance, she decided to head to work and focus on what was important. The Horcrux.

* * *

"Somewhere else you ought to be?" Viridian asked with an amused voice as Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall for what must have been the hundredth time and groaned in discontent when the damned thing wasn't moving any faster. It was still morning, and she had a long day ahead of her.

Hermione's eyes widened a bit. "No, sir, I apologise. I'm only finding it a bit hard to focus today," she said truthfully. She had been working with Viridian long enough to know he wanted her to be straightforward with him.

He glanced up from his notes and twirled a quill between his fingers, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Then I suggest you go to St. Mungo's to record the progression of our test subjects," he said matter-of-factly.

She almost gasped. He was the one who always took records and interviewed their test subjects in person. Not his apprentices. "Are you sure?" She asked with a hint of excitement seeping into her voice.

It would be both challenging and intriguing to document and observe the development on the spot. Not to mention do something else for a change, even though she loved working with potions research.

He nodded and waved his hand. "Off you go," he muttered and returned back to his notes. "Leave the results to Thomas when you're ready," He said, referring to one of his research assistants, "And then you're done for the day."

* * *

St. Mungo's had been somewhat interesting. As she got home after dropping the data to Thomas, Hermione's head was still spinning from all the information. She had tried to put in her best effort on writing her observations with the clinical results for Viridian. Their four test subjects, two men and two women, who all suffered from severe mental illness, had all been affected by the advanced healing potion. The progress was slow, but there was some progress at least.

"Hey," Remus greeted from the couch, where he was going through his class material, a weary look edged on his face.

Hermione's thoughts of work slipped from her mind as she smiled at her friend. "How are you doing?" She asked as she came to sit on the arm of the couch.

He shrugged. "Okay." He grunted and flipped through some pages of his textbook and cursed under his breath.

Hermione sighed. It was the second time that day when she had asked a Marauder how they were, and received only moody replies. _Boys…_ She stood up and ventured towards the kitchen. "I'm going to see Dumbledore later," Hermione said as she put the kettle on. "Tea?"

Remus put his books down and turned to look at her with a curious look. "Why? Has something happened?"

"No, just have some business to go through with him…" She said evasively. She lifted an empty cup and gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, sure, thanks." He said and Hermione flicked her wand to levitate a tray with a teapot and two cups towards their sitting room. "So…It's something to do with your mission?" Remus asked tentatively as he took his cup between his hands and eyed her searchingly. Hermione sat down next to him and took a sip from her cup.

"Um…Yes. But that's all I can say on the matter, I'm afraid." She said with discontent. Remus nodded understandingly. They had talked about the raid and everything she could tell him about her mission. Which wasn't really that much. "So…I might come back late." She said vaguely.

Remus chewed the inside of his cheek. "Okay…Should I be worried?" He asked slowly and his eyes searched hers.

"No. I'm with Dumbledore." She said reassuringly. Unfortunately, even that knowledge didn't help her shake the restlessness that was coursing inside her. They sat in silence for a while, both staring ahead into nothingness, absorbed in their thoughts.

"I have to go and get ready," Hermione said eventually and stood up from the couch. She pressed a kiss on the top of Remus's head. "Try to take it easy, Remus. You can catch up on your schoolwork during the weekend." She said affectionately. Remus grunted in reply but smiled nonetheless.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said and moved towards the stairs.

"Yeah. Take care, Hermione."

* * *

They were standing side by side, in front of the stone podium, where the locket was perched on the top of it.

"Now, before I start, I ask for everyone to clear their minds, and focus on protecting it with walls and barriers," Dumbledore said softly, his wand at the ready. They had agreed that the moment after Dumbledore had uttered the words in Parseltongue in order to open the locket, he would step away from it, so that the cursed heirloom would attack the others instead. That would give the Headmaster the advantage to cast Fiendfyre and destroy the object once and for all.

Everyone nodded and took their positions; wands lifted and focused expressions. Dumbledore took a steadying breath and hissed to the locket.

They stood in place and stared at the locket in anticipation.

Nothing happened.

"Perhaps it was the wrong word…" Fabian muttered, and Gideon nudged him on the ribs.

"Fuck, Gid…Stop mauling me!" Fabian hissed quietly. McGonagall glanced at Dumbledore with an anxious look on her face.

Then it happened.

" _Minerva…"_

McGonagall gasped and whirled around to search the man who had uttered her name.

"Robert?" She asked, her voice a mix of worry and suspicion.

" _Help me…Please!"_

"Robert!" McGonagall called her missing brother with horror, her voice now louder, her breathing quickened. She took a tentative step towards the locket.

"Minerva, don't! It's not him!" Gideon shouted in panic, and then all of them, except McGonagall were blasted several feet away from the locket.

" _Help me…sister, please,"_ The voice wailed in agony.

Groaning from the pain of hitting her head on the unrelenting rock, Hermione blinked and squinted groggily at her former Head of House, who took another step towards the stone podium, her hand hovering over the locket. Wincing with discomfort, she pushed up to sit. "No…" She whispered.

Hermione heard her heartbeat thrumming in her ears, her head was pounding with pain, and she was fairly sure she had hit her head pretty badly, as she touched the back of her skull and found her hand sticky with blood. "Shit." She breathed and hazily looked around her. Dumbledore was unconscious. So was Gideon. Fabian was groaning on the other side of the cave.

"Minerva, no…" Fabian moaned struggling to get up on all fours. Another forceful wave erupted from the middle of the cave, heading towards Fabian. He yelled and tried to pull up a shield charm but wasn't fast enough.

"Fabian!" Hermione screamed in terror when the man was flown across the cave, straight towards the rock wall with a sickening crunch. Another wave came towards her, and it barely missed her as she threw herself on the side, moaning in pain when her body hit the ground. She could taste blood in her mouth. She quickly scampered up and was relieved to find her wand safely between her fingers.

It was now, or never.

She took a deep breath and waved her wand in an intricate pattern. At the same time, Hermione saw McGonagall conjure another set of cursed flames. A fiery lion flew from the tip of her wand, soaring beside the chimaera which had erupted from Hermione's wand. The locket was fighting against them, and both Hermione's and McGonagall's focus faltered after another wave of magic came from the Horcrux.

"MINERVA, MOVE!" Hermione screamed, and the other witch turned around, her eyes widening in terror.

Hermione was struggling to put out the flames before they reached McGonagall, and she could see her former Head of House was trying to do the same thing. Hermione gritted her teeth and focused all her willpower into keeping the flames from hitting McGonagall. She almost succeeded. The fiery lion scraped the back of her old Head of House lightly, but it was still enough. With a howl of torment, McGonagall fell to the ground, crawling in obvious pain, away from the stone podium. "Oh, gods!" Hermione gasped, managing to extinguish one of the curses.

"Do it!" McGonagall choked, writhing helplessly as the burn of the curse took over. Hermione knew exactly how it felt. It felt like agony. It felt like thousand flames were burning through one's skin, even though the flames had already succumbed.

Shaking uncontrollably, her face wet with tears, sweat and blood, Hermione controlled the remaining cursed flames, now in the shape of a serpent, and forced them to dive straight into the locket.

As soon as the flames touched the locket, the cave was filled with loud screams of terror and torment, cries of suffering that made Hermione's skin crawl and her head spin. The sounds grew louder, and louder, and she knew something was about to happen. Hermione tried to brace herself for the finale, but nothing could've made her ready for it.

A loud explosion erupted from the middle of the cave, and the whole cave shook.

Then the roof started to crumble down.

"NO!" Hermione screamed and with her last powers, she extinguished the cursed flames before she passed out.

* * *

 **A/N:** Two cliffhangers in a row was not intentional, by the way...I'm sorry! :)


	39. Retribution

**A/N: WARNING! This chapter contains character deaths, so if that is not something you wish to read, I strongly suggest you skip this chapter.**

All in all, the chapter is rather gloomy, and like my beta said; It's always darkest before the dawn.

...That being said, I still hope you're continuing to read and follow (and review) this fic. You guys are really spurring me on! So, without further ado...um...I really can't say "happy reading", or "enjoy", but...you know what I mean :)

Oh! And let me know your thoughts about this story so far.

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Retribution**

 **November 18th 1978 (Saturday)**

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Sirius hissed with annoyance as he slipped through the doors that led to the Hospital wing of Hogwarts.

Regulus eyed his brother with a bored look on his face. "Hello, brother. What do you think I'm doing here?" Regulus drawled quietly. "Should I ask you the same thing?"

Sirius clenched his jaw and approached his brother.

Regulus was sitting in an armchair next to Hermione's bed, and the girl in question was still unconscious. It was late Saturday evening, three days after she had been brought there. He had stayed with her the past two nights, slipping into the infirmary as soon as Madam Pomfrey had turned off the lights and retreated to her office, and leaving early in the morning before the matron had woken up.

Regulus knew Sirius and his friends had been visiting Hermione as well, but this was the first time anyone had come to see her this late.

"You've got some bloody nerve," Sirius said bitingly as he came to stand at the foot of the bed, crossing his arms defensively.

Regulus arched a brow at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked quietly. He had an inkling of what he was referring to, but he wanted to hear him say the words.

Sirius scoffed. "You know what I mean. She's not some bloody toy you can play with whenever you please."

 _So…He knew,_ Regulus thought. "I gather she's told you then." Regulus said plainly, staring at his brother with a blank look. In truth, he was far from calm and collected. Not when she was lying unconscious, her body filled with cuts and bruises, and her life on the line.

"Not exactly."

Regulus eyed Sirius curiously. "So, you went _sniffing_ through her things?" He asked grimly and gave him a pointed look.

Sirius blanched. "What do you mean?"

 _Could he be any more obvious?_ Regulus thought and rolled his eyes. "You can't be that daft to think I didn't know about you. Of what you are." Regulus said with an exasperated tone. His brother wasn't exactly subtle when it came to keeping things to himself. Sirius had always been like that, and Regulus had always found out his secrets, sooner or later. It was something Regulus had always envied in his brother. The way Sirius was so open, so carefree, and nothing like their family.

Sirius stared at Regulus in shock for a couple of seconds before he gave a dry laugh. " _Of course_ you knew…Still. I didn't do it on purpose..." He said and gave his brother a meaningful look.

"You're obviously bursting to tell me something. So…out with it," Regulus said with an arched brow.

"What? You'll _read my mind_ if I won't?" Sirius asked harshly.

Regulus flinched. _Fuck._

"That's what I thought. You read her mind, without her consent, might I add, and somehow you managed to slither so close to her heart that she now has a hard time shaking you off…" Sirius said with a low voice as he stared at Regulus with an accusing look in his eyes.

"What?" Sirius asked expectantly. "Nothing to say to me?"

Regulus bit back the words that threatened to come out. He wanted to tell him everything, but he couldn't. He couldn't even start to describe his feelings for Hermione, because Sirius wouldn't understand. He wouldn't understand how much Regulus needed Hermione, how he wanted nothing more than to be next to her, to breathe in her scent, to hold her in his arms. How he could only take what was given, and give so little in return and nothing more, and it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

And on the other hand, it was too much. It was too much because they were who they were. They were light and darkness. Even if Sirius understood him, he wouldn't accept it. Perhaps his brother already even knew how Regulus thought and was now only messing with his head. How his brother managed to annoy him into insufferable levels, was beyond him.

Regulus gritted his teeth. "You're an arse." He said half-heartedly.

"Aww. Love you too, Reggie." Sirius said tightly, but Regulus could see his lips quirking upwards.

Soon Sirius was grinning at him, and Regulus couldn't supress his smile, even though he tried. Very hard. He shook his head in amusement while Sirius chuckled.

His smirking face started to annoy Regulus. "Care to discuss your little stunt last Saturday?" Regulus asked pointedly.

Sirius's face fell. "Fuck off." He growled.

Regulus sighed. "You do realise you've made your bed? She won't stop until you're dead. She's stronger than you. And she will kill you." He said quietly. Even though Regulus hadn't been at the raid, since everyone assumed that he had been at school, he still knew his cousin. Bellatrix wouldn't let the murder of her husband go without retaliating. And the knowledge made Regulus's skin crawl with dread.

Sirius shrugged.

Regulus scoffed. "Of course. You don't care."

"Says the brother who cares too much?" Sirius asked dryly.

Regulus gave him an amused look. "Well. I never said that. I am a Slytherin."

Sirius rolled his eyes. He studied Regulus's features silently. "…You gonna tell me what happened to you?" He asked, and Regulus could see a hint of worry in his brother's eyes. He was evidently observing the faint cuts and bruises on his face, his neck and hands, incidentally matching the ones on Hermione's skin.

On Wednesday evening, when Regulus had been getting ready for bed, he had suddenly felt pain. To call that unbearable pain would have been an understatement. Several blows, as if a Hippogriff had been trampling on him, like he had been pelted with stones, like he had fallen from the Astronomy tower, his body crushing onto the ground. A pain he had never in his life experienced, and that was saying much, since he _had_ suffered pain before. He _had_ taken the mark, and he _had_ drunk the potion of torture, after all.

But this pain had been so fierce, that he had eventually lost consciousness. He had woken up to his own screams, and writhed in agony on the floor of his empty dorm room for several moments before the pain had ebbed enough for him to summon Kreacher. Still, even with the help of the Elf and several potions and healing magic Kreacher was able to perform, Regulus had shuddered and moaned in pain throughout the night. Kreacher had quickly moved Regulus into the Room of Requirement, where the Elf had stayed obediently by its master's side until it was morning and the pain had almost subsided. What had been the most terrifying, was the fact that in the midst of his suffering, Regulus knew something horrible had happened to Hermione. Something far worse than anything that had happened before.

"Nothing." Regulus said blankly.

Sirius stared at him in bewilderment. "You're lying. Who hurt you?"

"No one." Regulus said with an annoyed look.

Sirius sighed wearily and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Whatever." He muttered and went to sit down in an armchair on the other side of the bed.

* * *

Her lips felt dry, her mouth like cotton. There was a buzzing in her head and an ache in her ribs. Hermione felt like rubbish. Like she had fallen down all the stairs in the Hogwarts staircases, which was a lot of stairs, actually, and like she had been carelessly patched up afterwards. Groaning, she blinked. She immediately knew she was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. It was dark, and the curtains around her bed were closed. _What had happened?_ She struggled to think where she had been before ending up in Hogwarts, but she couldn't quite see it through her hazy mind.

Slowly, she studied her surroundings, and found a familiar form sitting in a chair next to her bed. Sirius was leaning against the edge of her bed, his head resting over his crossed arms, his shaggy black hair sprawled over his arms and his back. He looked so peaceful, his perfect features relaxed, his lips pouting as he breathed through his mouth. Hermione lifted her arm an inch or so, and when she felt no pain, she slowly brought it towards Sirius's face. She followed the sharp angles of his jaw with her fingertips, her touch so light that he probably didn't even feel it. A small sound of rustling caught her attention.

She glanced at the direction of the sound, and saw Regulus. He sat straight in his chair, on the other side of her bed, his eyes open, scrutinising her. It was obvious he had been watching her ministrations carefully. He lowered his eyes and swallowed deeply when she brought her hand back to rest on her lap. Hermione's eyes wandered over his body. There was something off with him. His face. His neck. His hands. They were covered with bruises and cuts. He was hurt. And she knew why. It was because of the bracelet. Because of her. Her eyes started to water and her lip tremble as she took in his appearance.

"Don't." He whispered pleadingly, his eyes fixated on hers, a desperate look in them.

She took a shuddering breath. Her throat constricted. The tears began seeping down her cheeks.

" _Don't_." He repeated silently, gritting his teeth, his face slightly twisting with pain.

Hermione swallowed. Her throat hurt. "Water," she breathed, wiping her cheeks with her hand.

Regulus quickly conjured a goblet with cold water and stood up to help her drink it.

After drinking, she leaned back into her pillows, closing her eyes. She felt Regulus take her hand in his, brushing his thumb against her knuckles.

"What happened?" She whispered, her eyes still closed. Hermione could feel Sirius stir next to her.

"Hermione?" Sirius mumbled sleepily.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Sirius." She breathed.

Relief flooded onto Sirius's face. "Hermione." He said as he stood up and enveloped her into a soft embrace. When she felt him tremble against her, Hermione looped her hands over his neck, soothing his hair.

"Thank fuck." Sirius grunted against the crook of her neck.

Hermione let out a laugh that came out as a cough.

Sirius pulled away and gave her a worried look. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Pain relieving potion?" He asked and sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes moving over her face.

 _Pain…_ The events in the cave started to flood into her mind. There was pain. Lots of it. There was an explosion… _The locket!_ The locket had been destroyed. But there was something else as well.

Hermione shook her head slightly to Sirius, avoiding rapid movements. Her head still hurt but she didn't want to take the potions, not yet. She wanted her mind to be clear as she discovered what had happened in the cave.

"What happened?" She repeated quietly.

Sirius swallowed nervously. Hermione glanced at Regulus who stared down stonily.

"The, um…the place where you were found was in ruins. You were all buried under stone…" Sirius said gravely, clearly not wanting to think of it. Had he been there?

Hermione stared at him in shock. _Merlin…The roof had collapsed and they had been buried under the stone, not able to get help. They could've died in there..._ "How did you find us? Who found us?" She asked anxiously.

"Prewett. Gideon. He was able to send a messenger Patronus to Moony. Asked to gather our group and come in Letterfearn. We found you early on Thursday morning and brought you here," Sirius explained, glancing at his brother with a wary look.

Hermione too glanced at Regulus. He stared back into her eyes, looking desolate, making her feel even more baffled than she already felt.

"Thursday…" Hermione mumbled. "What day is it?" She asked with confusion edged on her face.

Sirius frowned. "Sunday. Sunday morning…"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. _She had been unconscious for three days?_ "Godric…" She whispered. Then Hermione remembered something. "My work. Viridian," She exclaimed suddenly, after realising she had missed two days of work without notice.

"Moony took care of it." Sirius said reassuringly, smiling slightly at the alarm in her voice. His smile dropped quickly and he became solemn.

"Oh. Are the others okay?" She asked with mild concern.

Sirius's expression became grief-stricken.

"W-What? Sirius?" She demanded in confusion, staring blankly at the raven-haired man who always had a witty answer up in his sleeve. Now he looked nauseated. Miserable. Her heart thrummed in her chest. She knew what that look meant. She knew it very well.

"No," She gasped, tears blurring her vision again. _No. This wasn't supposed to happen_. "Who?" She asked, her voice barely audible. She could feel the tears tickling her cheeks.

Sirius swallowed. "McGonagall."

Hermione let out a loud sob, gasping for breath. _No…No, no, no…It wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to live…It was her fault. All her fault._ "No," she whimpered, staring at Sirius helplessly, hoping he was lying to her. That it wasn't true.

"Fuck." Sirius growled helplessly as Hermione's sobs grew louder and she covered her tear-stained face with her hands.

The lights in Madam Pomfrey's office turned on. Sirius and Regulus shared an obscure look and then the curtains were yanked open.

"What is the meaning of this?" Madam Pomfrey asked with a shrill voice, staring at Sirius and Regulus with a stern expression. Then her focus turned to the teary-faced Hermione, and the look on her face softened.

"Oh, dear." Madam Pomfrey whispered.

The matron dashed forwards to check on Hermione and brushed both men away. Sirius and Regulus moved to stand at the foot of Hermione's bed, both watching with strained expressions as the girl broke down, her face twisted in anguish, while the older woman soothed her and pulled her into a warm hug. Hermione wept against the older witch for quite some time, until no more tears came, and her wails of grieve had ebbed into silent sobs.

Madam Pomfrey broke off eventually and eyed Hermione with a mournful look. "May I check your health, dear?" She asked with a trembling voice.

Hermione nodded and pressed her lips together and waited silently as the matron performed diagnostic spells over her body.

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat after she was ready. "Regulus." She spoke with a thick voice. "Please go to your Head of House and kindly ask him to bring the Headmaster here. Then go to your own quarters for the rest of the night."

"No."

Sirius rolled his eyes at his brother. Madam Pomfrey turned to look at the younger Black in slight annoyance.

"I won't leave her." Regulus said quietly. The matron sighed, clearly overwhelmed by the situation, by the lack of sleep, and by the intruders in her ward.

"Fine." She said tightly. "Get Horace and then come back here."

Regulus stepped closer to Hermione, on the other side of the bed where the matron was situated. He lifted his hand and slowly caressed her cheek, wiping away the tears on Hermione's cheeks. "I'll be right back, love," He whispered.

Hermione gave him a small nod, the pain she was feeling reflecting from his eyes as he gazed at her. Then he nodded to the matron and left the Hospital wing.

"How are you feeling dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked with a pitiful look as she pulled a couple of vials from Hermione's bedside table drawer. "Do your injuries cause you any pain?"

Hermione licked her lips, not really sure how to answer. She felt horrible. She felt guilty. The grief was taking over her mind and body, and she didn't know how to answer to the matron. But she knew Madam Pomfrey was also inquiring about her physical injuries.

"My head hurts a bit. Nothing else besides that." She managed to say, her inside wrenching with despair. The truth was, she felt like something was sitting on her chest. Like someone twisted her heart. Like she couldn't breathe.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to understand her and eventually nodded and beckoned for her to sit up so that she could examine the back of her head. Sirius came to stand on the other side of Hermione's bed and took her hand gently in his, soothing her skin with his thumb.

"Your wounds are almost all healed. You are very lucky to be alive, Hermione." The matron said quietly, her voice cracking as a couple of tears trickled down from the corners of her eyes.

Hermione pressed her lips together and tried to swallow the lump from her throat. "And the others?" She asked with a teary voice. "Gideon and Fabian? Dumbledore?" She couldn't say her name.

Madam Pomfrey let out a shuddering breath. She cleared her throat. "Um…The H-Headmaster is perfectly well, as is Gideon. The other Mr. Prewett is currently in St Mungo's. His injuries were more severe than yours, so it was necessary to place him there." She said quickly.

Hermione's eyes started to tear up again, and she grit her teeth together in order to suppress a sob that was threatening to burst out. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. McGonagall, her favourite teacher. The woman who had originally introduced the wizarding world to her, was gone. She was dead, and she was not coming back. Hermione would never see her again.

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat again. "I'll be in my office. You seem to be healing quite nicely, but if you experience any pain, take the vial of pain potion I've left you on the nightstand. If the pain continues after you have taken the potion, or if you experience anything unusual, please summon me," She said with a strained voice, a sorrowful look in her eyes. Hermione knew the loss of McGonagall had affected her greatly as well.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said quietly.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "The Headmaster will be here shortly." She said and after a final sorrowful look at Hermione, she turned and walked towards her office.

Hermione started to shake as the sadness took over again, overwhelming, overbearing, suffocating. Sirius pulled her against him, and she wept silently against the warmth of his chest as she mourned her former Head of House.

* * *

 **December 17th 1978 (Sunday)**

The month had gone quickly. Fabian was released from St Mungo's a week after the incident, and Hermione had been able to return home soon after the weekend, and go back to her daily life. But nothing was normal. McGonagall's death had shaken her so greatly, that she wasn't really able to handle the grief. The woman had been an important person to her for her entire life in the wizarding world, and now she was gone. What made it even more terrible was that she wasn't supposed to die like this. Where Hermione had come from, McGonagall had been alive and well. In her past, McGonagall hadn't even joined the first Order of the Phoenix, and she definitely hadn't had anything to do with a Horcrux hunt. Would she have lived if things had gone like Hermione knew they had? Most likely. That was something she just couldn't deal with.

So, she had tried to distract herself by throwing herself into work. Hermione had asked Viridian to give her as many assignments as he could. Viridian himself had been quite upset by the news, and Hermione knew it was because he had been a close friend of McGonagall's.

The funeral had been small, but beautiful. Many had spoken about the former Head of Gryffindor wistfully, affectionately and kindly. Some had reminisced her earlier years, some her later. Hermione tried not to dwell on guilt. She knew McGonagall wouldn't have wanted it. But Hermione still felt somewhat responsible. If she hadn't come to this time, this universe, then McGonagall would've most likely lived longer. She wouldn't have tangled herself into any Horcrux business and suffered the fate she now had.

Hermione was entering her home after working the Sunday morning in the empty office. After closing the door behind her and letting out a deep sigh, she was startled to see so many of her friends there. "What's going on?" She asked from the hallway as she toed off her shoes and shrugged away her coat.

Remus came to linger in the hallway. Everyone else was either eating or in the middle of a conversation, simultaneously eyeing Hermione and Remus.

"Order meeting at Hog's Head in a couple of hours," Remus said grimly.

"Oh?" She asked, a hint of dread in her voice. Something must've been going on if they were meeting in such a short notice.

Remus shrugged. "We don't know. Probably a raid."

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and walked further to the kitchen. Lily enveloped her into a warm hug. "Mione."

"Hey, Lils."

Lily broke off their embrace and kept Hermione at arm's length. "Are you eating? I swear you've lost a ton of weight!" Lily said with a scolding voice, ushering Hermione to sit at the table and pushing a plate of roast chicken and potatoes in front of her.

"Thanks," Hermione said quietly and started to eat and listen to the others.

The boys were in the sitting room, talking about the possible places the Death Eaters might be attacking, as well as different kinds of wards they would have to place over their homes, just in case. Mary and Alice were bickering about something on the other side of the table, while Lily was silent and eyed Hermione with a worried expression.

"What?" Hermione asked eventually, becoming slowly uncomfortable under the redhead's stare.

Lily sighed. "You're not taking care of yourself. You're not eating. Sleeping. You're always at work." She said tensely.

Hermione sighed inwardly. She knew Lily didn't mean to annoy her. She was worried, Hermione understood that. But she still was a bit affronted by Lily's words. "You shouldn't worry about me, Lils. I'm fine," Hermione grumbled, taking a sip of water from her goblet.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "You're not fine."

Hermione's nostrils flared. "Well, what if I'm not fine? How is any of you fine?" She snapped, her voice rising a bit as she glanced at the others. The boys stopped talking, as did Mary and Alice. Everyone sent awkward glances at her direction.

"Hermione…" Mary muttered.

"No, perhaps I'm not okay. She wasn't supposed to die. Allie's parents weren't supposed to die. Marley wasn't supposed to die!" Hermione said angrily, a couple of tears escaping from the corners of her eyes. She was supposed to prevent it. She was supposed to save people.

Hermione glanced at Alice, who stared at the table stonily, breathing deeply. Mary took her friend's hand and squeezed it, looking mournful. Hermione sighed. She hadn't meant to cause Alice more sadness and pain than she was already feeling.

"I'm sorry." Hermione whispered, staring at the girls with remorse. "I…I need a minute." She breathed and stood up, quickly escaping to her room upstairs.

The knock on her door wasn't unexpected. She knew one of her friends would come to check up on her. Or urge her to come downstairs so that they could leave to Hogsmeade.

"Hey."

It was James, surprisingly. "James…I'll be ready in a minute, okay?" She said and gave him a tight smile. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her fingers brushing the _'Hogwarts, A History'_ on her lap. It was the first book she had ever bought at Diagon Alley, when she had visited the place for the first time, with McGonagall accompanying her.

James sighed and came to sit next to her. "You know you can talk to us, right?"

"Sure." She said faintly.

"We all miss them. We all know it wasn't supposed to be like this. But we can't stop trying to make things right. To make this a better place, for ourselves, for our children, and theirs." James said wisely.

Hermione gave him a muted nod.

"I know, and the others know, that you're keeping something from us. Something big. And that's okay. You can talk to us whenever you're ready. We'll be here for you, Mione. We'll always be here for you." James said and stared at her with such a kind and sincere look.

He looked so much like Harry, just then. She now understood where Harry got his compassion, and his loyalty. It was heart-breaking. It made her remember all over again how she had lost her friend for good. That she couldn't return to him and tell him how wonderful his parents were. How much they were like him.

Hermione pressed her lips tightly together and blinked away tears. She nodded to James, and he pulled her into a warm hug. As he soothed her back, Hermione closed her eyes and for a small moment, she let herself think that it was Harry who was holding her, comforting her and telling her that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

"Thank you for coming in such a short notice," Dumbledore spoke from the middle of the room. He was standing in front of the bar, facing the numerous tables where the Order members were scattered.

"It has come to my knowledge that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are planning another raid. Next Friday." Dumbledore said grimly.

There were murmurs and groans of displeasure.

"I understand what you all must be thinking after the last raid. Even if we didn't suffer any losses in the previous raid," Dumbledore said, pausing for a short moment, and Hermione knew whom was he thinking of. "Several muggles did." Some of the members spoke to each other in hushed tones, evidently about the previous raid.

The giants had destroyed a large part of Manchester, which was later explained as a gas explosion by the Muggle authorities. There had been several casualties, and many of the Order members had been injured.

"It is rumoured that Voldemort and his followers have selected certain members of the Order to be punished because of what they did during the last raid and they intend to capture them in the next raid. Meanwhile, part of Voldemort's followers will try to cause mayhem yet in another city," Dumbledore continued, and the muttering subsided.

Hermione saw many eyes move towards Sirius, who tensed slightly next to her. She also took a look at Alastor Moody, who had killed Greyback. She took Sirius's hand and laced their fingers under the table, squeezing his hand in a calming manner.

So…this was it. Voldemort himself was now participating in hunting down the two wizards who were responsible for killing his trusted followers. Hermione's grip on Sirius's hand tightened. She glanced at the man as Dumbledore continued about the muggle city in which the raid was planned to happen.

Sirius studied her from the corner of his eye, a sad look in his grey eyes. She had to do something. She couldn't handle it if she would lose him as well.

"How do we know this is valid information?" Alastor Moody suddenly barked from one of the seats.

Snape stood up from his seat and walked to the front. "Because the Dark Lord told me himself."

"And how can we be sure you're speaking the truth? Last time we were quite short-handed, and could've used the information where the primary blow was going to happen." Sirius said, his voice laced with mistrust.

Snape sneered at him. "I am speaking the truth. You didn't think your little performance would go unnoticed, Black?" He asked bitingly.

Sirius seethed.

"Gentlemen. We're here to discuss how to prevent the attacks, so if I may continue…" Dumbledore said sternly, and both Sirius and Snape eventually nodded.

"Fucking Snivellus." Sirius growled under his breath. "One of these days I'm going to beat the shit out of him."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "You should be grateful to him. With his information, we are able to protect you!" She hissed silently, as the conversation continued in front of the bar.

Sirius shrugged indifferently. "Whatever. I don't need protection."

Lily, who was situated on Hermione's other side, watched the raven-haired Marauder with a troubled look in her eyes.

* * *

 **December 22th 1978 (Friday)**

*BOOM!*

A sound of an explosion roared through the air, and Hermione could hear several yells and screams erupting from where they were heading.

It was the night of the raid, and the Death Eaters had attacked a rock concert in a stadium in London. It was a chaos. Spells were zooming around them, people were running in panic, screaming as they went. It was difficult to focus on finding their opponents in the midst of thousands of civilians who had been attending to the concert. Some of the Death Eaters were on the pitch, in the middle of the stadium, attacking muggles and duelling with members of the Order, and some of them were situated up on the stands.

Moody barked orders before he engaged into duel with two hooded and masked opponents. "Black, Potter, and the rest of you! Take care of them!" He yelled, pointing up at the stadium stands, from where they could hear explosions and more panic-mixed screams.

James nodded. James, Sirius and their friends advanced the construction, dodging spells and curses as they moved forward.

As they reached the stairs that lead up to the stands, Hermione could see that half of the rows had been blasted off. She dodged a red light and there was a loud detonation right behind them.

Hermione blinked. Her ears buzzed. She had thrown herself under a row of chairs, as had the others. She stood up slightly, crouching as she tried to find her friends.

"Lily!" She screamed, trying to get the attention of her friend who was taking cover in a row below her. Lily looked around her and found Hermione, and scrambled quickly up towards her. Another set of spells was fired straight to where Lily had just been.

The rows started to empty from the muggles, as everyone ran towards the grounds for safety. Hermione could hear the muggle authorities arriving on the scene, shouting orders through a megaphone. They were running out of time. They had to disperse and disarm the Death Eaters before the Muggles would open fire.

"There!" Hermione yelled, pointing at ten rows upwards, where several Death Eaters were situated, firing curses towards the mass of people.

Together the girls started to ascend the stairs, the other one shielding them while the other shot spells rapidly. James, Mary and Remus advanced the group from the side, and Hermione could see that Sirius, Alice, Frank and Peter approached them from the other side.

The Death Eaters spread out and they started duelling on the stands, teetering on the chairs and avoiding the holes and rumble on their feet.

Time seemed to go slower, and right before Hermione faced her masked opponent, she briefly wondered whether Regulus was amongst them. She really hoped that he wasn't. Hermione fired spell after spell, dodged and deflected curses, her body whirling around as she duelled with the Death Eater.

" _Stupefy!"_ Hermione finally yelled, the spell landing straight on the man's chest, and her opponent fell down the stairs, unconscious.

She had only a second to glance around before another Death Eater took the vacant place and started to throw curses at her direction.

" _Sectumsempra!"_ Someone yelled, followed by a suffering scream.

Hermione dodged a curse from her opponent and turned around to look. She saw Mary slouched on the ground, her arm bleeding furiously. The Death Eater she had been duelling was approaching her, and slowly lifting his wand. _No. No, no, no…_

"NO!" Hermione screamed in panic. " _Diffindo!"_ She yelled, sending a severing charm on the Death Eater, cutting his hand off. The man moaned in surprise and pain while Hermione dodged another curse from her opponent who was now shouting something in rage.

"Moony! Take Mary and disapparate!" James yelled from somewhere.

Hermione continued fighting with the Death Eater and heard a crack, which she hoped was a sign of Remus taking Mary to safety. " _Flipendo!_ " Hermione yelped, hitting her adversary on his leg, and with a growl, he flew against a row of chairs, collapsing with a heavy thud, several seats collapsing over him. "You fucking bitch!" He yelled and tried to scramble on his feet.

Hermione had another chance to glance at the people around her. James was duelling with two Death Eaters, as was Sirius. Lily was facing a tall, vicious looking man, whose mask had fallen off. Lily's fiery red hair was whirling in the air as she ducked and steered clear from her adversary. Her lip was bleeding and her left arm was hanging in an awkward way, but she still fought fiercely. Alice, Frank and Peter were too facing one Death Eater each.

*BOOM!*

Another earth-shaking blast erupted from the pitch, followed by many screams and yells. And then every Death Eater disapparated from the stands.

"What the fuck?" Sirius asked, panting as he wiped sweat from his brow. They gathered closer to each other.

James frowned and eyed around them. "They've gone on the pitch. Let's go. Everyone okay?" He asked, eyeing everyone in turn. Everyone nodded, and James's eyes lingered on Lily's arm.

"Let me fix that, love."

Lily scoffed. "I can handle it, Potter," She said tightly and flicked her wand on her arm, healing it back to normal. James smirked at her.

"Shall we?" Sirius asked and everyone nodded grimly.

As they apparated on the pitch in the middle of the stadium, hell broke loose. Two giants emerged from somewhere, wreaking havoc, and the muggle authorities started shooting gunfire at them. Several duels were taking place throughout the grounds, and people were screaming all around them in fear, in pain, in agony.

"Fuck," James breathed before he marched towards a group of Death Eaters Moody was facing alone.

Lily squeezed Hermione's hand and followed her boyfriend to fight. Hermione, Sirius, Alice, Frank and Peter were left behind, but were soon occupied as several Death Eaters apparated around them, surrounding them.

And the duels started again.

Spells flew, shield charms were drawn, and people were shouting. Dodging curses was impossible, since their opponents were pushing the Order members tightly against each other. Drawing shield charms was slowing their ability to cast offensive spells.

"Frank!" Alice screamed. Hermione saw Frank collapse at their feet, but before she could assess his injuries, Alice took him by the arm and disapparated.

Now there were only three of them. The ten or so Death Eaters were all waiting for something, their wands at the ready.

"Oi, Pettigrew!" One of them yelled through the chaos that was happening around them.

Peter winced and turned to look at the man who spoke to him.

"If you're looking for your little boyfriend, you can find him somewhere on the pitch. Last time I saw him, he decided to stop breathing as I broke his neck." The man snarled.

Peter choked back a sob.

"Pete, stop listening to them. They're fucking with our heads." Sirius growled to Peter, who was standing by his side. Hermione's back was against the boys and she could feel Peter shaking like a leaf. _What if they weren't lying?_

"Oh, are we?" A silky, sickly sweet voice spoke, as the speaker walked towards the ring of Death Eaters. Bellatrix.

Hermione glanced over the grass field and saw several duels taking place on the pitch, but she could see there were many Death Eaters less than there had been before, when they had first arrived. _Where was Dumbledore?_

"You must be wondering where your precious little leader is," Bellatrix cooed and stepped into the ring, facing her cousin.

Sirius snarled at her. "Probably beating the shit out of yours," he spat.

Bellatrix cackled gleefully. "Oh, cousin…You always were the naïve one…You didn't think this was the _only_ place we were attacking, did you?"

Dread seeped through Hermione. _Where else?_

"You see, we _know_ someone's leaking information to you. It's just a matter of time when the Dark Lord finds out who it is," She jeered. "So, we decided to organise another small revel for your nuisance and, well…for our amusement."

Hermione felt suddenly cold. _Where were they attacking? How many were there?_ She could see that most of their own troops were still there, on the pitch.

"Let's just say Hogsmeade is probably not the same after our little friends are done with the place," She gloated and glanced to look at the two giants.

Hermione swallowed.

"Your pathetic oaf of a commander and some of the Aurors are currently trying to protect the village and its innocent residents," She said with a childish voice.

"Fuck you, you crazed bitch!" Sirius growled and bared his teeth.

Bellatrix cackled and shouted commands to the Death Eaters. Soon they were firing curses again, and the fight was on. Many of those who surrounded them disapparated, and even when there was a remarkably smaller amount of opponents, Hermione knew they wouldn't last long.

Bellatrix was fighting against Sirius, and Hermione and Peter faced three others who had stayed in place.

"Oh, did I mention, dear cousin, that your beloved foster parents are there as well?" Bellatrix cooed with a malicious look in her eyes. "Probably squashed by the giants already. Too bad," She tutted.

Sirius gritted his teeth. "You're lying." He threw a slicing hex at her.

Bellatrix dodged the spell and cackled again. "See for yourself." She hissed and threw a curse so powerful that Sirius's shield went shattering down. Then she disapparated, and so did every Death Eater around them.

"Hermione…Pete." Sirius breathed, grasping their hands.

Hermione nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

They apparated into a side alley of the village, and everything was quiet. There was no way that the Giants were there, as they would've heard them right away.

"It's a trap," Hermione whispered. "Sirius, let's go back," She said urgently and tugged his arm. Peter eyed around them anxiously.

Sirius yanked his arm away. "I have to make sure they're not here, Hermione. You heard what the bitch said."

Hermione pressed her lips together. She really hoped that no one was there, and that Bellatrix had only tried to lure them away from the fight. But as they peered towards the main street, behind one of the buildings, they knew it was a trap.

At least twenty Death Eaters stood in the middle of the street, surrounding two Aurors Hermione didn't know by name, as well as Mr. Potter and Mrs. Potter. Dumbledore was nowhere in sight.

"Pete, go get help. Get Moony and Prongs," Sirius whispered urgently to his friend.

Peter gave him a shaky nod and transformed into a rat, and scurried away quickly.

Sirius and Hermione took another glance to the street.

"We have to wait for help," Hermione whispered.

"No. They'd be dead before anyone comes here." Sirius snapped.

None of the Death Eaters was firing any spells, until Sirius gave Hermione one last meaningful look and dashed towards them. Hermione quickly ran after him. Spells flew from their wands so rapidly, that they managed to bring down at least three Death Eaters before they started to fight back. Their captives joined the fight, and the village was soon surrounded with jets of green, red, purple and yellow, screams and curses and gasps.

"Where's Dumbledore?!" Sirius yelled to one of the Aurors, who duelled two Death Eaters next to Sirius, who faced one himself.

The Auror stunned one of his opponents. "Having a bit of a spar with Voldemort!" He barked, and then there was a flash of green light and a rushing sound, and he was hit by a killing curse on his back.

His face became slack, and he fell on the ground like a marionette whose strings were cut.

"NO!" Sirius yelled.

Hermione let out a strangled moan next to him.

Their backs were against each other, as Sirius and Hermione faced several masked opponents, trying to defect numerous spells from many directions and give something in return. From the corner of her eye Hermione saw that James's parents were in a similar position. Both Aurors had fallen, by the looks of it.

This was it. _They were going to die,_ Hermione thought, fear gripping her heart.

Then someone screamed. Hermione whirled to look at the Potters. Her insides froze as she saw James's father lying on the ground, unmoving. Hermione gasped. Her throat constricted. Sirius let out a wretched moan. Bellatrix was holding Mrs. Potter in front of her, with a tight grip from her hair, and a silver knife pressed against her neck.

Everything stopped for a minute.

"Oh, cousin…You didn't think I would be satisfied by merely killing _you_ , huh?" Bellatrix cackled maniacally.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH, I'LL KILL YOU!" Sirius bellowed, lifting his wand.

Bellatrix tutted. "I wouldn't move if I were you," she hissed, the knife pressing tighter against the smooth skin of Mrs. Potter.

Mrs. Potter stared at Sirius and Hermione. Hermione could see the fear in her eyes as she spoke. "Sirius…Take Hermione and go. Take care of James," She whispered with a strained voice.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes with boredom and cut her throat open.

Hermione screamed in terror, and Sirius moaned, his face twisted in agony, and he growled, lunging towards his cousin. The Death Eaters started to fire spells again. Hermione snatched Sirius's arm and tried to pull him back as she blocked several spells, but Sirius shoved her away, his eyes blazing and his wand firing spells so rapidly, that Hermione almost couldn't keep up.

"No, Hermione. Move away." He sobbed angrily and shot a killing curse straight into the chest of a Death Eater next to Bellatrix. The woman snorted and sent a curse of her own towards Sirius.

Sirius was knocked back by another spell from a Death Eater closest to them, thus avoiding the green jet of Bellatrix's killing curse.

"He's mine," said one of the masked figures, the one who had sent the knockback jinx, glancing at Bellatrix. The other Death Eaters around them stopped firing curses, as did Hermione and Sirius.

"Dear Regulus…" Bellatrix said with a sing-song voice. "Now is not the time to act _brotherly_ ," She said with a sneer and walked slowly towards Hermione and Sirius.

"Reggie, you son of a bitch!" Sirius yelled with a wavering voice and spat towards the Death Eater in front of him. Sirius flicked his wand and the mask on Regulus's face cracked into two pieces, falling to the ground.

"Hello, brother." Regulus said indifferently. "Good to see you too."

Sirius snarled at him, glared at him in such a way that Hermione could see the anger bubbling inside of him, bursting out. Hermione could only gape at Regulus. Had he killed someone in this raid? Someone she knew, or cared about?

The brothers started to circle one another, while Bellatrix giggled psychotically, watching excitedly as his cousins were bracing themselves for a duel. Everyone else stood still, their wands at the ready.

Hermione glanced at Regulus and Sirius, who were both staring intently at one another. When they moved so that Hermione was partly behind Sirius, Regulus's eyed flickered over his brother's shoulder and he looked into her eyes for a second. She could see it in his eyes. He was giving them a chance to run, but with what price?

Hermione gave him a slight nod and grasped Sirius's shoulder. Then she disapparated.


	40. Trying times

**A/N:** Another gloomy chapter ahead, I'm afraid..But I promise, it will get happier...probably! :D

And thank you folks for reviewing, following and favouriting my story!

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Trying times**

 **December 22nd 1978 (Friday)**

"Hermione!" Lily shouted moments after Hermione apparated near the Potter cottage, with a moaning Sirius by her side. The streets were empty, but there were lights in many windows.

Hermione broke in tears as she saw the redhead running towards them. She was safe, she and Sirius were finally safe, and their friends were there waiting for them. "Lily," Hermione sobbed.

"James! They're hurt!" Lily screamed towards the house. James, Remus and Alice ran outside while Hermione dragged Sirius to walk forward. What had happened? Where was Peter?

"No," Hermione breathed. "No, we're…I mean, we're…" She stammered, while Sirius disentangled himself from Hermione's grip, staggering towards the house, towards James.

James was looking at his friend with worry. "…Pads?"

"Prongs," Sirius said, his voice cracking with emotion, his face filled with pain. "Mum and dad…" He whispered, choking down a sob, shaking his head slightly. Lily gasped and brought her hand to cover her mouth, while Remus and Alice gaped at their friends with shocked expressions.

James stared at his best friend with confusion and disbelief, until the news sunk in. His face twisted into a suffering look. Then he let out a loud puff of breath, his eyes filling with tears. "No." James whispered, swallowing deeply.

"No!" James gasped, tears seeping down his cheeks. He started to shake, panting as he tried to breathe. He walked to Sirius, who was trembling and looking equally in pain as James, and pulled him into a tight hug.

Hermione watched her friends fall apart. She felt useless, since there was nothing to be done, nothing she could do or say to make them feel better. She twitched when she felt someone take her hand. It was Remus.

"Hermione," Remus muttered. "Are you hurt? What happened? Where were you?" He asked and moved to stand in front of her, blocking her view to the mourning men.

Hermione shook her head and tried to compile her thoughts. "Hogsmeade. They were attacking Hogsmeade. Bellatrix lured us there," she said quietly, her voice wavering. It had to be like that, that the Potter's were somehow tricked to be there, since the village had been rather empty.

Had it been empty? She shivered as she only now realised that there had been a few bodies lying on the streets of the village, something she had missed when they'd been in the midst of a duel.

"Aberforth!" Hermione said abruptly, dread filling her. Had he been there? Was he alive? Panic started to rise in her. She hadn't had the chance to make sure he was alright.

Remus placed his hands against her shoulders. "Calm down. Ab's fine. I saw him at the stadium after I dropped off Mary to her parents," he said and when Hermione's eyes widened, he added, "Mary's fine."

Hermione nodded and tried to go through the events of the raid. "Peter. Where's Peter? He left us, he was going to get help," Hermione spoke hastily, trying to look around her. She only saw Lily and Alice, urging James and Sirius inside.

Remus looked troubled.

"What?" Hermione said sharply. Where was he? Was he okay?

"He's at St Mungo's," Remus said and Hermione's skin crawled with horror. "He's alive, but unconscious. They're trying to figure out what hit him…" Remus said and frowned, looking very tired and anxious.

"He's going to be okay," Hermione said and hugged him.

Remus sighed wearily into her hair. "No, he's not. Jason's dead."

Hermione swallowed, her throat constricting.

* * *

 **December 25th 1978 (Monday)**

"Hey, Hermione," Remus murmured behind the bedroom door, knocking the wood lightly. "I'm heading to Godric's Hollow...You coming?"

Hermione took in a deep breath. It was Christmas day. And the day of James's parents' funeral. It was as good day as any, since Christmas wasn't going to be a merry celebration this year. Dumbledore had managed to retrieve the Potters' bodies from Hogsmeade after duelling Voldemort. The latter had escaped in the end and called his followers off from Hogsmeade and London. Everyone around them was trying to cope with their grief and sorrow, to deal with the unexpected losses. Peter had been revived but he was still weak because of the curse he had suffered and he too was filled with grief.

James was a mess. Their group had stayed together in Godric's Hollow on Friday night, everyone wallowing in their own thoughts, in their own pain. James had left to his parents' Manor after briefly discussing with Dumbledore on Saturday morning and had stayed there for the whole weekend, alone. Sirius was no better. He had disappeared soon after James, and Hermione later found out that he had drank every ounce of Firewhiskey he could have gotten his hands on, and thus suffered a mild alcohol poisoning.

Hermione had been staying in her room for most of the time after Saturday morning, drowning in guilt, blaming herself and not willing to discuss with anyone. She was worried about Regulus. What were the consequences of letting them go? Was he even alive anymore? Hermione's heart twisted with pain from the thought.

It was too much. All of it, everything that had happened. All the people who had died after she'd come into this time. Marlene and her family. Fenwick. Alice's parents. McGonagall. Jason. Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It was too much. And she didn't know what to do. How to survive through it. She had had the ability to change things. To change their fates. And she had failed. How could her friends ever forgive her? How could she ever forgive herself? She couldn't even talk to anyone about her feelings, and even if she could, would she have the strength? Hermione couldn't help but blame herself. Peter had lost his boyfriend. James had lost his parents and Sirius had lost the only parents he had loved. And she hadn't been able to prevent anything. It made her sick. It made her feel worthless. It made her feel empty.

Remus knocked again. "You'll regret it if you're not there." He said softly.

Hermione sighed. She knew she had to go. She wanted to go. She wanted to stand by her friends and support them through their sorrow. But it just hurt so much. She could feel the pain in her soul.

The door opened abruptly and Hermione saw Aberforth walk in. He turned to Remus and muttered, "We'll be there in a minute."

Remus nodded and disapparated.

"Hello there, lassie," Ab murmured and sat down next to her on her bed.

He took her hand and Hermione sniffled. "I'm glad you're okay, Ab." She said quietly and glanced at him.

Aberforth hummed and squeezed her hand. "Likewise."

There was a small silence and Ab cleared his throat. "You know you can, er, talk to me if you like?" He grunted, shifting slightly.

Hermione let out a shuddering breath. "I don't think I can do this, Ab," she said dejectedly, blinking away the threatening tears and staring at the floor. "I can't handle this…"

Aberforth nodded in thought and put his arm around her. "I know, girlie." He said wearily, soothing her arm as she lay her head against his shoulder.

* * *

Christmas carols echoed in the village, where everyone was preparing to celebrate Christmas with each other, with their families. Everyone but a small group that stood solemnly in the cemetery, gathered around a white marble gravestone, around a man with a messy black hair. There was only darkness and desolation in his eyes as he took a deep breath and started to speak.

"Bravery, reliability, fairness, honour, respect: these are all qualities that my father not only held in high esteem, but practised every day during his time on this earth. He was a diligent and determined man, but his best quality was the ability to laugh with his friends and loved ones, and if he deemed necessary, at himself." James spoke, staring at the swirling snow over his parents' grave with an empty look in his eyes. The stone had been engraved with Mr. and Mrs. Potters' dates of birth and death and a message: ' _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.'_

They were in Godric's Hollow's graveyard, the very same place Hermione had visited once before – the time she had visited James's and Lily's grave with their son.

The people around them were James's closest friends and family, and a couple of Order members. James had wanted to keep the funeral small. He hadn't had the strength for anything more than that.

As Hermione looked at the father of her childhood friend, grieving at his parents' grave like his son once had, she felt overcome with emotion. She knew it was too soon to say goodbye to them, for James to say goodbye to his parents. Their deaths had happened so quickly, so suddenly, that no one had had the time to brace themselves.

"He experienced a lot during his lifetime. He built himself a successful business, married the love of his life, had a child, and adopted another. He saw war and suffering, but he still stood strong and tried to make this place better, for his family. For his loved ones." James said, his voice trembling slightly, his eyes cast down as he tried to prevent himself from crying. He took a moment and glanced at Lily, who stood close to him and gave him a small smile of reassurance.

James took another deep breath. Hermione could feel Sirius shaking next to her, crying silently. Everyone around them was grieving. Thinking of their final words to the Potters.

"Dad was a straightforward man who demanded little from those around him, and who wanted only the best for his two sons. I'll never forget the day when I told him I'm going to marry Lily someday. He said: 'Do what you feel and what you believe is right. Follow your heart, and you can't go wrong.'" James said quietly. A few of his friends smiled sadly.

James cleared his throat, blinking rapidly, his hazel eyes shining with grief and pain. "It's difficult to imagine him not being around and…I'm not sure how I will continue without him." He said, choking down a sob.

"Goodbye dad. Go in peace." James said softly, a few stray tears escaping from the corners of his eyes. He wiped the tears away and stepped aside to make room for Sirius. Lily enveloped James into a warm embrace, soothing his back as James pressed his lips tightly together and tried to keep himself from falling apart.

The other raven-haired man stepped forward and turned to face the others. He stood next to the gravestone, next to James, clenching his jaw as he gazed at the inscription on the stone. Even though he had been on a bender, Sirius had managed to pull himself together enough to speak at the funeral.

Sirius swallowed deeply before he started to speak. "Mrs. Potter was my mum. The only one I could call one, that is. The only one I could love. I remember once asking her why I was put into a wrong home, given to wrong parents. She told me that I was given this life because I was strong enough to live it. And when the time came that I didn't have a home, she gave me one." He said, his throat bobbing as he tried to swallow a lump from his throat. Sirius cleared his throat. "In her last moments, she asked me to take care of James." he said, his voice breaking. He took a deep breath before he continued.

"What she didn't get a chance to say, was how proud she was of her son James. A chance to tell how special you are, and how much she loved you," Sirius said, turning to look at his best friend. James's face was contorted with sorrow, tears slowly falling down his cheeks. Sirius clenched his jaw and continued.

"Euphemia Potter was a strong, generous woman, and a bright light in the darkness, a paragon of perfection. She was a brave, selfless person. And I can never thank her enough that she let me be part of her live, to be her son." Sirius said, his eyes brimming with tears. He took a shaky breath before he continued. "Goodbye, mum. You will be missed." he said dejectedly and pressed his trembling lips together.

Everyone stared at the boys with sorrowful eyes, with sympathy, with grief. James pulled his brother into a tight embrace and they stayed like that for a while, finding consolation from one another.

The funeral was sorrowful and delicate, and Hermione knew the Potters would've been very taken by their boys' words. After the words had been spoken, and the flowers had been laid to the ground, everyone stood in place in silent contemplation to mourn, to respect, and to say goodbye. One by one, they left the cemetery to continue their lives.

* * *

 **December 28th 1978 (Thursday)**

"Sirius?" Hermione called as she stepped into his home from the fireplace.

"Oh my god…" She mumbled. The place was reeking of alcohol, cigarette, and filth. "Sirius!" She yelled and walked further, stumbling on several scattered beer and Firewhiskey bottles as she made her way upstairs, towards his bedroom.

What she saw shouldn't have surprised her. But it did. She let out a gasp as she saw his room. The floor was sticky with spilled liquor and shattered glass. The furniture had been thrown across the room and broken, the curtains shredded. As she took in the state of the room, her eyes finally rested on the armchair, where Sirius sat, a devastated look in his eyes as he stared numbly ahead.

"Sirius?" Hermione asked softly.

He turned slowly to look at her.

Hermione let out a soft sigh. He looked so lost. She knew James was in a bad shape too, but he had Lily. Even though James was hurting, he still tried to keep himself together. Sirius wasn't even trying.

"Come on," Hermione said quietly and held her hand out for him.

He eyed her with such a vulnerable look that Hermione almost let out a sob. He eventually stood up and took her hand. Hermione led them away from his room.

"We'll step outside for a moment." Hermione said simply and led them downstairs. "Just…perhaps bathe first, okay?" She asked with a grimace and scrunched up her nose.

"That bad, huh?" He asked softly, his mouth curving into a tired smile.

Twenty minutes passed, and a crisp looking Sirius emerged from the bathroom. Hermione gave her arm for him to take for apparition.

"Where're we going?" He asked as he took a hold of her hand.

Hermione frowned. "Someplace we need to see."

Sirius's eyes flashed with dread but he didn't have time to say anything before they disapparated.

Moments later they appeared in Hogsmeade.

"No. No, no, no, Hermione. I…I can't. I can't be here," Sirius said harshly, pushing his trembling hands through his hair, looking terrified.

Hermione took his face between her hands. "I'm not dragging you to where it happened." She said reassuringly. They were on the other side of the village. "But…You can't fear this place. You can't fear of leaving your home. And neither can I," She whispered the last words. "They wouldn't have wanted that." She said softly.

Sirius swallowed deeply and stared into her eyes, his grey eyes swirling with emotion. It was compelling. It was sorrowful.

"I hate him." Sirius said quietly.

Hermione pressed her lips together. "Why?" She breathed. She knew he was speaking about his brother.

Sirius clenched his jaw. "Because he was there. He just stood there and watched my parents die." He gasped, a tear trailing down his cheek.

Hermione's heart ached for him. She felt so, so bad for him. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I really am." She whispered. More tears spilled from his bloodshot eyes.

She stroked his hair and leaned closer, brushing her lips against his. They were slightly wet from his tears. She smoothed her fingers against his temple, the line of his jaw, and pressed her forehead to his neck, pulling him close against her. They stood there, in the middle of a road in Hogsmeade, on Thursday morning. Snow was slowly falling around them and on them, but they stood still, comforting each other in the cold.

* * *

On Thursday evening they sat on Hermione's and Remus's sitting room. After spending some time in Hogsmeade that morning, they had gone back to Sirius's house to clean the place. Hermione had then asked if Sirius wanted to stay at her and Remus's place for some time, insisting that they should all be together now, and not alone. He had gratefully accepted, eager to have some company.

"You know he had no choice?" Hermione asked after a long silence, knowing that Sirius knew that she was speaking about his brother. She turned off the television after the program they had been watching ended. Remus was already in his room, sleeping, and it was getting late.

Sirius glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "I know. That doesn't make it easier." He muttered.

"I know." Hermione said softly.

They were silent for a while. "I don't want to go home." Sirius said quietly, staring ahead with a blank look.

"You can stay here. As long as you need." Hermione said and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Can I stay with you?" He asked, turning to look at her hesitantly.

Hermione worried her lip. Could he? The way he was looking at her, and the unresolved feelings between them forebode something. Something they both might regret later.

"Just for tonight?" He asked, his eyes pleading her.

Hermione swallowed. "Okay." She knew she wasn't thinking rationally. She knew they should've thought this through, but she didn't want to think. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to forget and feel something. She wanted to feel better.

They walked upstairs in silence, and neither of them said anything when Hermione locked and silenced her bedroom after they stepped inside.

Sirius walked slowly forward, towards her bed, while Hermione leaned against the door, watching him.

He sat down on the bed and turned to look at her. "Come here." he said roughly, staring at her with a mix of vulnerability and desire in his eyes.

Hermione shivered under his gaze and walked slowly towards him. As she came to stand in front of him, Sirius lifted his hands and took a hold of her waist, rubbing his thumbs against the fabric of her shirt. She felt delicious shivers run down her spine.

"I won't pressure you into anything you don't want to," He said quietly, gazing up at her.

Hermione licked her lips. "Okay." She whispered and hesitantly leaned down to kiss him.

Sirius kissed her back hungrily, as if he had to take everything she gave him because it might have come to an end before he even knew. She sighed into his mouth and Sirius captured her wrist, pulling her closer to him, guiding her to sit on his lap, never breaking their kiss. Soon he changed the pace, kissing her slowly, softly, and Hermione trembled as she felt his hands smoothing down her neck and shoulders, down her belly and slip under the hem of her shirt. His fingers slowly trailed up, brushing her skin lightly. She arched against him as she felt his knuckles brush the underside of her breast, and whimpered when his fingers found her nipples through her bra. She threaded her fingers through his black hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, grinding her hips against him and drawing a groan from him as she pressed herself against him.

His tongue slipped into her mouth, lightly touching and teasing hers while his hands continued their leisurely caresses. She hadn't even noticed he had opened her bra until he pulled her shirt off of her, and the piece of underwear with it. As Sirius dropped his mouth on her breasts, sucking and nipping the tender skin, Hermione moved her hand down between them, brushing his hard length over his slacks with her fingers.

He moaned against her skin, his hips jerking. "Ahh…" He gasped, breaking slightly away and staring at her with longing.

Hermione backed away to stand in front of him. Sirius let out a soft whine, but didn't have a chance to say anything before she pushed her jeans and underwear down, stepping away from them and eyeing him unsurely.

"Fuck." He muttered, his eyes glazing as he gave her a once over.

He quickly stood up and rid himself off his clothes, his eyes never leaving hers. Hermione felt a small wave of thrill go through her.

Sirius stood in front of her, stark-naked, his mouth curving as he reached for her, tugging her slowly closer to him. Hermione could only stare at his sculpted body in awe. He was so hard and lean, so devastatingly male. He had gotten a couple of new tattoos to adorn his body, and Hermione was intrigued by their details. His shaggy black hair fell over his broad shoulders, his full lips quirked with slight amusement, and his stormy grey eyes stared at her with such intensity, that Hermione felt herself blushing. Sure, she had seen him naked before, but it had been over a year. They were becoming adults now. And even then, they really hadn't had much time to appraise each another, as they had always been in the dorm, he shared with three of his friends.

Sirius gently pulled her towards her bed, lowering her on it and following her as she stretched herself in the middle of the bed.

A while after, they were both panting, wrapped against each other. Hermione's heart was beating like a fluttering bird inside her chest as they both caught their breath. Sirius moved carefully away from her and lay down on his back, next to her.

The silence was tense, overwhelming.

Hermione rested her head against her pillows and stared at the canopy of her bed, a lump forming into her throat.

What had they done? Was it a mistake? Did she regret it? No? Yes? She didn't know. She could only feel confused about everything. What they did had been amazing, and she couldn't deny she didn't have any feelings for the raven-haired Marauder lying next to her. But she couldn't ignore what she felt for his brother either.

"You should be with him." Sirius said softly.

Hermione was shaken from her stressful thoughts. "W-What? Who?" She asked, feeling alarmed as she turned on her side to look at him. Sirius watched her closely, his grey eyes studying hers.

"Reggie." Sirius said and gave her a pained look. He drew the comforter over them and pulled her snugly against him, resting his chin against the top of her head.

Hermione pulled back to look at him in bewilderment. "What? Why?" She didn't understand why he was speaking about Regulus. Why he had said those things only minutes after they'd had something intimate, something remarkable, something that might've brought them closer to one another.

At the same time, she felt guilty, because she was relieved. She was relieved because even though she was quite sure she didn't regret what they had just done, there was a part in her that kept yelling at her that this wasn't right.

"Because you love him. Your feelings for him are so significant, that it almost makes me frightened. Jealous, sure. Because it's something that I doubt I can ever receive from you," He said, staring sadly into her eyes. She could see the debate in his look. Surrender.

"And even if the git hasn't really earned it, I'm willing to give it to him," He said and swallowed, his throat bobbing. "Because he is my brother. The only family I have left." He said quietly, and Hermione couldn't suppress the tears that stung her eyes.

She didn't know what to say to him. But Sirius understood. He pulled her closer again and they slowly drifted into sleep, in each other's arms.

* * *

 **December 31st 1978 (Sunday)**

 _She was heading towards the empty seventh floor, towards the familiar corridor, stopping just in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Her eyes burned with tears, and she was breathing unevenly. Soon she stepped inside the Room of Requirement and stared open mouthed at the sight that was waiting for her._

 _The room was larger than the Great Hall, with high windows from where the moonlight shone in. Several torches were lit along the walls, emitting flickers of light. She stared in awe at the endless piles of objects, mountains of books, broken furniture and other items._

 _She wandered through the narrow paths between the stacks of objects. Her fingers traced the decayed cupboard and the edges of its creaking doors. No. Not there._

 _She was searching for something. But she didn't know what. There was something familiar in the place, but Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on what it was._

 _When was this? Was it a memory? Or a dream?_

In the morning, Hermione woke up tired and bleary-eyed. Jason's funeral had been the day before, and the day had been difficult. Peter was devastated, and didn't want to speak to anyone. He had been staying with his parents after St Mungo's, and none of their friends had seen him before the funeral. Hermione could only hope Peter would turn to his friends when he felt ready, and not to a path that only could lead to darkness.

Even though Hermione had managed to sleep through the previous night, her dreams had disturbed her enough to leave her agitated and drained. She slowly stood up and made her way downstairs to make herself breakfast. Sirius had stayed with them until Saturday morning, and had gone to stay in Godric's Hollow after Jason's funeral. Everyone was still trying to recover from their losses, everyone was still mourning, still hurting. Because of the hurt, and the pain, and her inability to control everything, Hermione had started to resent this life, this universe. Everything seemed to go wrong. Everything was so difficult. She couldn't lean on her friends, because they were hurting too. She felt so lonely, so helpless.

Gideon's words rang in her head as she walked downstairs. The man had visited her last night, after the funeral, and they had had a long chat about the future.

 _"You can't blame yourself, Hermione," Gideon said after they had gone through the events of the raid. He was staring at her with pity in his eyes. They were in the sitting room, and the house was otherwise empty as Remus had decided to stay with Peter for a while before he would head back home._

 _Hermione remembered that Gideon too had lost someone in the raid. A friend, one of the Aurors._

 _Her face twisted with anger. "Then who should I blame if not myself, Gideon?"_

 _Gideon gave her a sad smile. "You know who did it, who killed them. You know who's responsible," he said quietly._

 _Hermione let out a muffled cry and stood up, aiming a kick at the coffee table. She was breathing heavily. Images of the raid started popping into her mind. Images of James's parents. Unmoving bodies in the stadium and in Hogsmeade. Images of Sirius's and James's sorrow, their pain. "I don't know how to continue. To go on." She said with a wavering voice, not looking back at him. "I don't know how to carry this…this quilt with me." She whispered._

 _Gideon sighed and stood up. "Come here," he murmured and pulled her into a tight embrace._

 _"I wish I could leave this place. I wish I could be in my own time. In my own world," she mumbled against him with a thick voice._

 _Gideon was silent for a moment. "I know," he eventually said, and felt her crying against him._

As Hermione came downstairs, she saw that Remus was already up and preparing eggs and bacon with a cautious smile on his lips.

"Good morning, Hermione." He said, and handed her a cup of coffee. She took it gladly and grumbled barely audible good-morning wishes to him before she slid onto a chair at the table.

Her brow arched at the woman's bra hanging loosely on the couch arm. "Care to explain that?" She asked and turned to look at Remus with a wary look.

Remus flushed bright red. "I, um…I," He stammered, but was interrupted.

"They're mine. Sorry about that." Mary said with a grimace, emerging from the stairway and grabbing the underwear and quickly pocketing it.

"W-What?" Hermione spluttered, her stunned stare moving from Mary to Remus.

"Um…" Remus said, and Mary rolled her eyes.

"Well, the thing is. I got hurt, he saved me and told me he loved me. Then he told me a bunch of other things about himself, including how he thinks he's a wolf in sheep's clothing, if you know what I mean?" Mary said with a wry smile.

Hermione gaped at her.

"A werewolf joke? Anyone?" Mary said exasperatedly, eyeing Hermione and Remus. "Whatever." She grumbled and came to stand next to Hermione. Remus eyed the girls tensely.

"You're together?" Hermione said in bewilderment.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, Mione," Mary said slowly, eyeing her friend carefully.

Hermione blinked. Remus and Mary? Mary knew about him? Hermione didn't know how she felt about the news. She was surprised? Taken aback? Excited?

"I'm…That's…" She mumbled and cleared her throat. "I'm happy for you," She finally said and smiled at her friends. Hermione stood up and hugged Mary tightly.

"Of course I'm happy for you, Mary," She whispered, and Mary chuckled into her hair.

Hermione broke their embrace and turned to Remus, who smiled sheepishly at her. "You arse!" she said playfully, slapping him in the arm. "How long has this been going on? You could've told me…" She grumbled, and Remus laughed, ruffling her hair.

"We kinda waited for the right time. Everything's been just so…Fucked up…" He said with a half-smile. "Besides, I'm not the only one who's keeping things in here," He said with a knowing look.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. There was a tense silence.

"Am I missing something? Is this the thing when you two speak with your eyes?" Mary asked with an amused voice, plopping down at the table and snatching Hermione's cup of coffee for herself.

Remus gave Hermione a sad smile. "I talked with Pads."

Hermione sighed. "I knew you would." She said and swallowed, eyeing him with uncertainty. Remus leaned to hug her friend. Hermione let out a deep breath from her lungs and squeezed him tight against her.

They eventually started to eat and talk about the new blossoming relationship between Remus and Mary. _At least something was good_ , Hermione thought with a weak smile.

* * *

A couple of hours later, as Hermione stood under the warm stream of water in the shower, her thoughts drifted back to her dream from last night. She'd been in the Room of Requirement. What had she been searching for? She tried to think very hard what she had seen in there. She tried to think of the time she had first stumbled into the room of hidden things.

 _Where everything was hidden._

She gasped so greatly that she was coughing and spluttering water, almost losing her balance. But that didn't matter.

Because she knew where the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw was.


	41. The Room of hidden things

**A/N:** Thank you for reading and reviewing - let me know what you think of this one :)

* * *

 **Chapter 41: The Room of hidden things**

 **December 31st 1978 (Sunday)**

Hermione knocked on Remus's door. "Remus?"

A moment later, a relaxed looking, slightly dishevelled Remus appeared in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Um…Is it a bad time?" Hermione asked with a slight grimace. She was certainly not used to asking that.

He shook his head and gave her a smile. "No, what's up?" Remus asked kindly.

"Can we talk for a moment?" She asked, glancing at her room, opposite to Remus's.

Remus seemed intrigued. "Oh. Sure," He said slowly, glancing into his room. "I'll be right back," He murmured to Mary, before following Hermione across the hall.

Hermione hoped that Mary wouldn't mind that she was talking with Remus privately, but she didn't really want anyone to ask questions. And even though she knew Remus probably would ask something, he would also respect her choice to stay quiet.

After she closed her door and threw a couple of privacy spells on it, she turned to Remus, who was watching her carefully.

"What is going on?" He asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I'm going to Hogsmeade for a couple of days," She said quickly and chewed the inside of her cheek.

He gave her a baffled look. "Why? Didn't we just discuss about tonight over the breakfast? That we'd stay in and watch a couple of movies?"

Hermione sighed and rubbed her temple. "Um…I just…I miss Ab, and I thought that…perhaps you'd like to spend the New Year's with Mary?" She asked with an inward cringe, knowing he wouldn't buy it.

Remus arched a brow at her. "Why are you really going?" He asked, looking slightly frustrated.

"I'm…I can't tell you," She said quietly, looking away from him.

"Hermione..." Remus muttered and let out a weary sigh. "I wish you'd tell me the truth. That you'd tell me everything." He said and studied her features. "I worry about you, you know?" He said and took a couple of steps closer, standing in front of her.

Hermione nodded, managing a small smile at him.

"After the last time…your last mission…." He said quietly, his voice trembling a bit. Hermione knew he meant the mission in which they destroyed the locket. The mission, where Hermione and Fabian had been severely injured. And McGonagall had died. "…I thought I lost you. When Gideon's Patronus came…Hermione, I thought you were dead." Remus said roughly.

She could only stare at him with regret. They hadn't had any time to talk about it afterwards, because the raid had happened. They hadn't discussed how Hermione had told Remus that she'd be coming back home later that night, that she would be seeing him in the morning, but instead she had been lying under heavy rocks in a collapsed cave.

"We've already lost too many friends and loved ones," He muttered, his eyes searching hers.

Hermione swallowed and nodded to him. "I know," she whispered, gritting her teeth. That was the reason she was doing it, of course. So that they could end it. The war, the suffering. For once and for all. Perhaps Remus would one day know everything. Perhaps he would one day understand. But not today.

He eyed her for a while, but when she didn't say anything, he eventually gave her a strained nod and left her room.

After a couple of soothing breaths, Hermione started to pack the essentials into her beaded bag and left towards the Hog's Head.

* * *

"Hi there, lassie," Ab greeted her as she emerged through the fireplace in the sitting room, on the second floor in the Hog's Head pub.

"Hey Ab," Hermione said and gave the old man a warm smile as she brushed soot off from her clothes. "How are you?"

It had been a while since the two of them had spent time together. Hermione had of course seen Ab in the last Order meeting, and then at the funerals, but there hadn't really been time to catch up.

Aberforth shrugged. "Good. Nothing much going on. You?" He grunted and flicked his wand, summoning two cups of tea to the coffee table. They sat down and Hermione took her cup between her hands, trying to think how to answer to him.

"Um…Not good, I guess. But I'll be okay." She muttered, her mouth twisting down a bit as she tried to suppress all the depressing thoughts that threatened to invade her mind.

Ab nodded. "Time will heal some of the wounds." He muttered, glancing wistfully at the portrait of his late sister, Ariana.

They were silent for a while, both absentmindedly sipping their drinks. After fifteen minutes or so, Aberforth cleared his throat and stood up. "Dinner ain't gonna make it by itself, so if you wanna eat before I'll open the pub, you ought to do somethin' about it," he said with a pointed look, a wry smile playing on his lips.

Hermione shook her head in mild amusement and stood up and followed Ab into the kitchen. They started to prepare their early dinner – crab linguine and a fresh salad – while having a casual conversation about work. Hermione told him a bit about the potions research project and the clinical trial at St Mungo's, while Ab entertained them by explaining about a couple of peculiar patrons that had visited the pub some weeks ago. Ab was going to open the pub a bit later than he usually did, since he knew that the New Year's celebrations tended to stretch into morning hours.

"As lovely as it is to have you here, why aren't you spending the New Year's Eve with your friends?" Ab asked mildly.

Hermione gave him a sheepish look. "I'm meeting your brother tomorrow."

Ab turned to look at her closely. "Oh? Another adventure?" He asked darkly, flicking his wand at the ingredients that flew into the pan.

Hermione sighed. "Something like that," she muttered, not really in the mood to argue with him. She took a sip from her wine Ab had handed to her.

"You can stop, you know?" Ab said, eyeing her with a stern look. "You can stop before you lose yourself," He said intently.

Hermione stared at him for a moment, contemplating his words before she spoke. "I know." She said heavily.

She knew it was pointless to tell to him that she wouldn't stop, that she'd do everything in her power to continue until Voldemort was destroyed, because Ab knew it. He knew she would continue, that she would even sacrifice herself for the greater good.

Once the food was ready, they ate and continued to discuss some lighter topics, before Ab had to go downstairs to open the pub for the evening. Hermione decided to stay upstairs, curled into the corner of the sitting room couch with a thick book between her hands.

* * *

 **January 1st 1979 (Monday)**

"Good morning everyone," Dumbledore said with a smile that did not reach his eyes as he regarded Hermione, Gideon and Fabian over his half-moon spectacles.

When they had stepped into the Headmaster's office, there had been a small moment of forlornness as everyone had realised that McGonagall wasn't going to join them anymore. This was their first meeting after what had happened in the cave.

Gideon, Fabian and Hermione murmured their good mornings to Dumbledore.

"It goes without saying, that we have lost a bright mind from our midst. A spectacular witch, a loyal friend, and a reliable person," Dumbledore said solemnly, crossing his fingers on the table. "But I hope we still have it in ourselves to continue our mission. I'm sure Minerva would've wanted it." He said quietly, eyeing the others closely.

Hermione gritted her teeth as her eyes started to burn. She had shed many tears over her previous Head of House, over the people who she and her friends had lost and buried. She glanced at Gideon and Fabian, who too were fighting to keep their resolve.

"We're ready," Gideon said with determination. Hermione and Fabian nodded in agreement.

"Then, Hermione has some news for us," Dumbledore said and gave her an encouraging smile.

Gideon and Fabian turned to watch her curiously and she cleared her throat before she spoke. "I have. I know where the diadem is," Hermione said gravely.

Gideon's brows lifted up with surprise, while Fabian let out a nervous laugh. "Of course," Fabian muttered dryly.

Dumbledore didn't seem to be surprised, since Hermione had told him she had important news regarding their mission as she had contacted him the day before, asking the Headmaster to organise a meeting for them.

Hermione swallowed. She knew it was perhaps too soon after the last Horcrux, as the mission hadn't gone as planned, but still, it was a grand development.

"Well?" Gideon asked promptly, eyeing her searchingly. "Where is it?"

Hermione took in a steadying breath. "It's here." She said quietly, and everyone stared at her in shock.

"Um…What now? …Here? As in…Hogwarts?" Fabian asked in bewilderment. Gideon still gaped at her.

Dumbledore eyed her closely, with a severe look in his eyes. "Where exactly, Hermione?" He asked with a demanding voice.

"In the Room of Requirement. It's, um… also known as the Come and Go Room. It's a room in the castle that transforms into almost anything you ask from it," Hermione said unsurely.

Gideon and Fabian exchanged an obscure look. Hermione briefly wondered if the brothers knew about the place, as they hadn't really talked about it before.

"Of course. He must've placed it there when he was applying for the job…" Dumbledore muttered. He stood up and walked towards the window, immersed in his thoughts. Hermione wasn't really surprised that the Headmaster evidently knew about the room.

Gideon eyed Dumbledore carefully. "What do you mean by that? He applied for a job?" He asked with a dubious look.

Hermione's mind whirled. She vaguely remembered how Harry had told her about his lessons with the Headmaster, and that Voldemort had applied for a job at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, still watching the grounds, his back to the others. "Tom Riddle came to apply for a job, some years after his graduation. He applied twice, actually. For the Defence Against the Dark Arts position," He said and turned to look at Gideon, whose brows lifted in surprise.

"First time he came, Armando Dippet was the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He refused to give Tom the position, after I expressed my concerns about his aspirations to the Headmaster. Tom came back several years later, when he already preferred the name Voldemort, and as I was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and naturally declined his request for the Defence position, he cursed it. That is presumably the reason I seem to have a problem of maintaining a professor in the subject for more than a year," He explained, and everyone stared at the Headmaster with recognition.

"He must've hidden the diadem when he came to ask for a job he surely knew he wouldn't receive. He knew I never trusted him, and he knew I wouldn't give him the position. And now I know the reason for his visit," Dumbledore said, almost a triumphant look crossing his face.

"How do you know the diadem is in the Room of Requirement?" Fabian asked from Hermione with a dubious look. Gideon too eyed her closely.

"I've seen it. I saw it, when I was still in school." Hermione said with a slight grimace. Dumbledore's brows lifted a bit while Fabian let out a strangled sound. "At the time, I didn't know what it was. And then yesterday, I dreamt about it, and finally realised that I've known all along where it is." She said abashedly.

Gideon nodded slowly, a contemplative look taking over his features. There was a long silence.

Fabian shook his head with amusement. "Seeing as every one of us knew about the room, a room that can change into anything we ask, no one bothered to suggest it as a hiding place for a Horcrux?" He asked with a wry smile.

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose it was so obvious, that none of us even thought about it. Perhaps Voldemort had thought so too…Perhaps he thought the thing would be safe in Hogwarts, because no one would suspect it would be here…?" Hermione said, glancing at the Headmaster unsurely.

"Indeed." Dumbledore muttered. "And there is a possibility that Voldemort might have had thought that he was the only one who had discovered the castle's secrets, and thus presuming the Horcrux would be safe because no one else knew about the room," Dumbledore mused.

There was a short silence before Gideon cleared his throat. "Well? Shall we go then?" He asked, eyeing the others gravely.

* * *

Hermione took a deep breath and cleared her mind as she paced in front of a wall. _I need a place where no one can find me. I need a place where everything is hidden._ On the third time she walked past the stretch of blank wall, a door appeared.

"Nice," Fabian muttered with a satisfied smirk, while Gideon and Dumbledore stared blankly at the door.

Hermione glanced at the others. "Shall we?" She asked and when Dumbledore nodded to her, Hermione opened the door and together they walked inside the Room of Requirement.

"Wow…The room definitely wasn't like this when we used it…" Gideon muttered, eyeing around him with a mix of interest and amazement. Hermione wanted to ask him how exactly had Gideon and Fabian used the room during their school years.

The room was exactly like Hermione remembered. A colossal hall, larger than the Great Hall, larger than the cave where they had practiced the Fiendfyre curse, but brimming with miscellaneous items. Narrow paths led between the wobbling piles of books, furniture and various wizarding items, disappearing behind larger towers of items.

Fabian examined a drawer near them, where an assortment of jewels was on display.

"I reckon we ought not to touch anything, eh?" Gideon said, smirking at his brother.

Fabian rolled his eyes and turned to Hermione. "What did you ask from the room? How did you even manage to find this in the first place?" He asked with a hint of incredulity in his voice.

Dumbledore eyed her with interest as well. Hermione shrugged uncomfortably. "I asked the room to give me a place where no one could find me, and where everything was hidden," she said simply, not in the mood to explain why she had had the need to find the place the first time.

Fabian laughed, the sound of his voice echoing in the vast room. Both Dumbledore and Gideon were suppressing their smiles.

"Clever," Gideon said with a smile and gave Hermione a small nudge.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Do you remember where you saw the diadem?" He asked calmly, his eyes flickering to a pile of old books and scrolls of parchment.

Hermione frowned, trying to remember into which direction she had walked when she had visited the room the first time. "Hmm…I think so," She muttered, and after Dumbledore gave her a small nod, she started to walk hesitantly along one of the pathways, further into the room. The others followed her, and they walked in silence for a while as everyone studied the objects they were passing.

"We're close," Hermione murmured after ten minutes or so, mostly to herself as she stopped in front of an enormous stuffed troll. "I remember the troll…"

"Take your time, Hermione," Dumbledore said patiently.

Hermione nodded and after the troll she turned left to follow the path. "It's here!" She said anxiously, walking briskly forward. They arrived in front of a battered cupboard, where a chipped bust of an old warlock stood next to it, and finally, a tarnished old tiara lay forgotten.

"Fuck…That it?" Fabian muttered, staring at the diadem.

Gideon gave his brother a reproachful look. Fabian waved his hand dismissively.

"Um…Yes. I think so. I mean, I'm quite sure of it. It's exactly like I've seen in the books." Hermione said, assuring mainly herself. Gideon hummed next to her as he too eyed the item carefully.

Dumbledore stared at the artefact for a moment before he brought his wand up. "We can examine it and determine its authenticity with a couple of simple spells." He said and eyed the others. "If I may?" He asked with a small smile, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione, Gideon and Fabian all quickly nodded and took a couple of steps back to give the Headmaster room to work.

They watched Dumbledore swish his wand in a circular motion over the diadem and then saw the artefact glow with a blue light for a moment. Dumbledore turned towards the others with a satisfied look on his face.

"It seems to be the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. And it seems to possess a piece of Voldemort's soul," He said simply, his eyes dark.

Even though they had already been quite certain it would be the original diadem and one of the Horcruxes, it still was a bit shocking to have it confirmed. Dumbledore turned back to the diadem and conjured a box where he levitated the object, waving his wand again to close and lock the container.

"Now…We should return to my office to discuss how we will proceed to destroy this piece," Dumbledore said to the others, gesturing for them to move back towards the entrance of the room.

Fabian cleared his throat. "We could do it here...?" He said slowly, standing in place. Gideon and Hermione nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore glanced around them and contemplated his answer for a bit. "Even though most of the students are home for the holidays, I will not take the risk of endangering the remaining students and my staff, nor will I put any of us into that kind of danger we were in when we did this in a closed space."

Hermione swallowed and tried not to think of the last time they had been destroying a Horcrux. She saw Gideon and Fabian exchange a solemn look before they both nodded at the Headmaster.

Before Hermione had the chance to ask the question that was on the tip of her tongue, Dumbledore spoke. "Where, indeed. That is something we are going to solve." He said simply, and gave the others an expectant look, waiting for them to follow him.

They made their way back towards the door that lead to the seventh-floor corridor, passing piles of dusty and damaged books, clothes, empty portraits, and various other items.

"Why did you come here?" Gideon asked quietly as they walked side by side, while Fabian and Dumbledore walked in front of them.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek before she answered. "I, um…I needed a place to think. And I didn't really want anyone to interrupt me…" She muttered, not looking at him.

She felt Gideon's scrutinising stare and sighed. "I needed to break something. And I needed a place where I could break down, I guess…" She said abashedly and glanced at him.

He gave her a sympathetic smile and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a side hug. They stayed in silence until they reached the small clearing where the entrance was situated. Gideon drew his arm back after seeing the huge knowing grin plastered on his brother's face.

Hermione gave Fabian a withering look before she followed the Headmaster out through the door, leaving the brothers – one annoyed and one gleeful – behind her.

* * *

 **January 27th 1979 (Saturday)**

Hermione and her friends were gathering at Godric's Hollow to celebrate Lily's birthday a couple of days beforehand. Even though they were adults and not anymore at the age to have birthday parties, Lily had insisted that everyone should be there, since it had been too long when they had properly spent some time together.

After retrieving the diadem from the room of hidden things, Hermione, Gideon, Fabian and Dumbledore had discussed possible locations where the Horcrux could be destroyed. Anywhere inside was dangerous as they regrettably had recently discovered. They decided that they would have to find an open space, where they could place several protective charms and wards in order to contain the fire and repel anyone nearby. They had agreed to take some time to find a suitable place, to practice the curse and reinforce their Occlumency shields before they would take action against the Horcrux, which they intended to destroy during Easter Holidays.

Hermione had been slightly reluctant to wait three whole months before they could demolish the diadem, but Dumbledore had been quite adamant that they needed to prepare themselves. Their minds needed healing after everything that had happened, and they knew the Horcrux would attack them mercilessly, trying to find their vulnerabilities and use their weaknesses.

So, Hermione found herself in a comfortable daily routine, burying herself into work, taking extra assignments, and thus gaining recognition from Viridian. For the past month, she had been actively involved with the clinical trial regarding the advanced healing potion, spending her weekdays at her workplace with various potions research projects and her nights and weekends at St Mungo's, making notes and observing the development of their test subjects.

When Hermione hadn't replied to Lily's owls from the other week – and she hadn't done it on purpose, she had just been so busy and tired that she had forgotten them – the redhead had accosted her at St Mungo's some nights earlier, demanding an explanation and making her friend swear that she would come to Godric's Hollow and attend the party.

"Honestly, Mione…You're exhausting yourself with that pace!" Lily said with a reprimanding voice as Hermione and Alice helped her to set the table before dinner.

Remus huffed from the kitchen. "Trust me, Lils…Already tried that one…" he muttered and walked outside with a handful of Butterbeers. The boys had been in the back yard since Hermione had arrived to Lily's and James's place, apparently working on something top secret.

Hermione rolled her eyes but said nothing. Remus and Hermione had barely seen each other since he too had his workload full with his studies, his part-time job in some muggle pub and with his girlfriend. The couple of times they had spoken, Remus had tried to reason her that she ought to do something else with her life than just work. Hermione had then wanted to inform him that she did do something else, that she practiced Occlumency, and that she tried to figure out how to end the life of one of the darkest wizards that ever lived.

Obviously, she couldn't tell him that.

Alice and Lily exchanged a look before they turned to Hermione. "I understand this is your way to cope, but…you can't go on like this forever, Mione…" Lily said quietly, eyeing Hermione closely. Alice hummed in agreement.

"Can we talk about something else?" Hermione said faintly. "How are you doing at Mungo's?" She asked from Lily with interest.

Lily seemed hesitant but nodded. "Okay, I guess. Well…I'm still with Mrs. Jackson," She said, making a face. Her mentor, Mrs. Jackson, was apparently still strict and expecting grand achievements from her trainees.

"But I love the work. It is all I expected, and more," Lily continued with an enthusiastic smile. "The shifts are rather shite, but it's totally worth it…I get to help people, and experience different kinds of magic I never even thought existed!" She said excitedly. Alice and Hermione chuckled at their friend.

Hermione eyed Alice. "How's Auror training?" She asked and took the glass of white wine Lily offered her. It had been a while since she had really talked with the girls.

Alice shrugged. "It's fine…And you know, finally besting our boys in one of the tests," She said with a wide grin, which instantly made Hermione think about Neville. At least parts of her old life were very much present, Hermione thought as she watched Lily and Alice snigger together.

"Oi! Shouldn't be boasting about anything since you've lost every duel you've had against me," James said teasingly as he walked inside and joined the girls in the dining area between the kitchen and the sitting room. He pulled Lily closer to him and placed a kiss on her temple.

Sirius groaned. "Mate. If you're gonna be all mushy, kindly point me towards the liquor cabinet," He said, pinching Hermione's waist as he walked past her, towards the kitchen.

James smirked. "Apparently I don't need to," He said with an amused look as his friend dug a bottle of Firewhiskey from under the sink.

Lily huffed and placed her hands on her hips, eyeing Sirius with a stern look. "You're not drinking that before dinner, Sirius Black!"

Sirius seemed to shrink slightly from the look Lily gave him, and narrowed his eyes at James, who quickly slipped into the sitting room where Remus and Peter were settling.

"Fine." Sirius grumbled and put the bottle on the counter with more force than necessary before stomping towards his mates.

The girls exchanged mirthful looks.

"When's Mary going to be here?" Alice asked suddenly, glancing at the watch on her wrist.

Lily smirked. "She should be here in a moment…She was in a morning shift at Mungo's today…" She continued with a sly look.

Hermione and Alice stared at Lily with bemused expressions.

"Well…she told her mentor to screw himself, so he organised this lovely extracurricular task for her. She's to organise all the patient charts and files, and even with magic, it will take hours!" Lily said with a mix of amusement and disapproval.

Alice snorted. "She did _what_ now?" Hermione bit back a grin. It was so Mary-ish, as she was a rather straightforward person.

Lily sighed. "Yes, well, perhaps she had the right to do so, since…well, Mr. Jenkins, her mentor, made some demeaning remarks about women not being able to handle everything the job required…" She said, worrying her lip. The girls didn't have time to continue the discussion as the floo roared, announcing that someone was coming through.

"I swear to Merlin, that man's an utter _arsehat_!" Mary growled as soon as she stumbled through the fireplace.

Remus arched a brow at her as she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm assuming it's not me you're talking about?" He said with a lopsided grin.

Mary huffed. "I wish. No, it's Jenkins. What a fucking bell end…" She muttered and turned towards the kitchen while the boys sniggered behind her. "I need a drink, Lils."

* * *

"Come on, it's like they're trying to shove it on our faces…" Sirius muttered and downed his glass of Firewhiskey.

Several hours later, Hermione, Sirius and Peter were sitting at the dining table while the others had retreated into the sitting room. Hermione glanced to where Sirius was scowling at, and smiled. James and Lily were snuggled on a small sofa, while Remus and Mary lay on the rug in front of the fireplace; Remus was leaning against an armchair with Mary using his lap as a pillow as she discussed with Lily about something. Alice and Frank were snoring on the other sofa in an uncomfortable looking embrace.

"I don't think they're doing it on purpose…" Hermione said and gave Sirius a wry look.

Peter eyed his glass opposite to her, a pensive look on his face. "Yeah…But it still hurts like a bitch, though…" He said quietly, not looking up.

Hermione frowned and tried to think what to say to him. Peter was obviously still hurting because of his loss. Before she managed to say anything, Sirius gave her hand a squeeze and shook his head faintly. Hermione let out a sigh. Even though she knew Peter had moved back to Sirius's place after a short time spent with his parents, she doubted the boys had discussed that much about the raid.

"Peter…if you want to talk about anything, I'm here," Hermione said eventually, eyeing him carefully.

Peter glanced at her. "Thanks." He said blankly and stood up. "I should go. See you around."

Hermione gave Peter a kind smile. "It was good to see you."

"And I'll see you in a couple of hours, mate," Sirius said to Peter with a nod.

"Pete? You leaving?" James asked as he saw the movement in the kitchen.

Peter walked towards the fireplace in the sitting room. "Yeah. Thanks for having me…"

After saying their goodbyes and Lily enveloping him into a warm hug, Peter left through the floo. Hermione saw James and Sirius exchange a cheerless look.

Sirius poured himself another drink. "You seen my brother?" He muttered, eyeing Hermione closely.

Hermione was taken aback by his question and coughed slightly. "No. Not since…Um. Not since December," She said, worrying her lip. They both knew what she meant. The night of the raid. When James's parents had been murdered right in front of them.

"Fuck…" Sirius murmured, taking a sip from his drink. "I wonder…If he got punished for what he did…When he let us go," Sirius said slowly, staring at his drink with a sullen look.

She wasn't that surprised by his words. When they had discussed after the raid, Sirius had told her that he hated Regulus. But Hermione had guessed it had only been the grief talking, since Sirius had practically pushed her towards his brother after they had…well…been together. And now he admitted that Regulus had in fact helped them to escape.

Hermione gave him a weary look. "I know. I mean, I've thought about it as well…" She muttered. "I assume he was punished. I think he's showed them his weakness, and they will not hesitate to use it against him…" She continued thoughtfully.

"His weakness? You mean…You?" Sirius said with his brows furrowed.

Hermione smiled. "No. I mean you. His family."

Sirius let out a dry chuckle. "Dunno about that…" He said flippantly.

Hermione lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "I do. He cares a lot about you. And you care about him." She said simply.

Sirius swallowed hard, looking stricken. "Perhaps the little git has more than one weakness then…" He said with a tight smile.

Hermione had wondered what had happened to Regulus during the holidays, but she knew at least that he was back in Hogwarts, since Dumbledore would've informed her if Regulus hadn't shown up. She had wanted to contact Regulus, to ask him how he was, to tell him how she was, and had sent him messages through the charmed galleon, but he hadn't replied to any of them. Either he didn't have his galleon anymore, or he chose not to answer to her queries.

The last time she had talked with him, was after McGonagall's death, when she had been in Hogwarts's infirmary. Regulus had stayed with her, sat by her bed, made sure she was okay. But when she had been discharged, he hadn't come to say goodbye to her. And honestly, she was relieved. She had enough of those with him already.

"I wonder if any of us survives this…" Sirius said absently as he splashed some Firewhiskey into his glass.

Hermione was shaken from her musings and turned to look at him, a small annoyance lifting its head. "I'm rather certain you won't if you keep up with that," She said and scrunched up her nose in disapproval at his drinking habits.

Sirius smirked. "I've already given up one thing I crave; don't make me give up this one too…" He said and gave her a meaningful look.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can find something, _or someone_ else to crave," She said wryly.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Aah, how I love a woman with a scathing wit," He said and winked at her.

"Good for you," Hermione said, pursing her lips with impatience. She flicked her wand and the bottle of Firewhiskey vanished in the air.

Sirius arched a brow at her. "You do realise I have like, a hundred of those at home?" He asked with a small smile tugging his lips.

Hermione huffed. "I know."

* * *

 **March 4th 1979 (Sunday)**

Valentine's Day that year had gone by without celebrations. Instead Hermione and her friends had decided to visit Marlene's grave, as it would have been her birthday. She would've been nineteen this year. Afterwards, their group had gathered at Hermione's and Remus's place to reminisce their friend and their last schoolyear together.

A couple of days later their group had found out that Sirius's parents had passed away. Dumbledore had come to Sirius's place, bearing the news. Apparently, they had died a couple of weeks into January, and only now the news had travelled to the Order. Hermione and Sirius had known what, or who had been behind it. It had been a punishment to Regulus, for letting them get away in the raid. Hermione felt bad for Regulus, who had lost so much already, and now his parents too. And even though Sirius had told everyone he didn't care, that Orion and Walburga had stopped being his parents the minute they tried to give their son to the Death Eaters, Hermione still could see that it hurt. That he was in pain.

On Sunday evening, in the beginning of March, Hermione and her friends attended the first Order meeting of the year, at the Hog's Head pub. It had been rather quiet on Voldemort's end, and it was never a good sign. Snape was there again, informing everyone about Voldemort's latest plans. Apparently, Voldemort had managed to gain some highly guarded information from the Department of Mysteries. A bit of knowledge, that would supposedly help him achieve something grand. He hadn't really shared the details of these plans with anyone, or at least, with Snape, but even knowing that Voldemort was scheming something regarding the Department of Mysteries, was enough to unnerve everyone.

"There must be a mole inside," Moody grunted loudly when Snape retreated back to his seat. Moody stood up with a small growl and limped towards the centre again, facing the others. Many Order members gave him looks of sympathy, but Moody only glared in reply. He had lost his leg in the last raid, and because of an unknown curse, it was impossible to grow the leg back with magic. So, he now had a wooden prosthesis in place, the same one Hermione was familiar with.

If only she had destroyed the Horcruxes earlier, then perhaps Voldemort could've been killed already. Perhaps Dumbledore could've finished him off during their last duel. Perhaps James's parents could've lived. And every other person who had died or suffered hadn't. Hermione knew it was pointless to think so, since there was no way she could have destroyed all the Horcruxes faster than they had been destroyed. And there still was one left to find.

"That, or someone's Imperiused," Edgar Bones quipped with a grim look. Hermione eyed him carefully. He was a man nearing his thirties, a thick black beard covering his jaw and a determined gaze sweeping over everyone. Hermione knew Edgar and his family had been murdered by Death Eaters in her time, and even though he had attended the Order meetings before, Hermione felt she was now more bothered by the knowledge she had regarding Voldemort's and his Death Eater's victims than she earlier had been. And she knew why. Because nothing was certain anymore. Even if she somehow managed to save someone, to prevent a death, someone else was going to die in this war. She knew it now. They weren't going to survive this without losses.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Imperiused or not, we need to know what exactly Voldemort has learned." He said and turned to Moody. "I trust the Aurors are able to inspect the situation with a subtle manner?"

Moody nodded. Dumbledore looked thoughtful before he continued. "Perhaps it would be wise to place extra security in the Department of Mysteries…" He muttered. "If possible, run it through your department head and get an authorisation for placing guards. If Scrimgeour will not co-operate, we'll just have to think of something else," Dumbledore said promptly, eyeing Moody expectantly.

"Will do," Moody grunted.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Splendid. Now. If anyone else doesn't have anything to add, we can call this meeting adjourned," He said and eyed over the room. When no one spoke, Dumbledore nodded. "Then I will be in touch regarding our next meeting."

There was shuffling throughout the pub as most of the members left through the floo and door under disillusionment charms.

"Severus." Dumbledore murmured. Snape gave the old wizard a jerky nod and walked towards the stairs that lead upstairs without looking back. Hermione and her friends eyed them with interest as they gathered their things and prepared to leave.

"Hermione? Would you join us?" Dumbledore asked as he stopped in front of their table. Hermione lifted her brows with curiosity, while James and Sirius stared at the door through which Snape had walked with dark looks.

"Oh, um…sure," Hermione said and turned to the others. "I'll see you later."

Her friends nodded and started to leave, some slightly more reluctant than others.

Hermione walked behind the Headmaster up the stairs and into the familiar sitting room. Snape stood stiffly in the middle of the room, his dark eyes flickering at Hermione's as Dumbledore threw privacy charms around them. Hermione looked away after a couple of seconds, knowing that Snape would probably see it as a weakness, but also knowing that the dark-haired man could intrude her mind. As she turned her eyes back to him, she saw a small smirk curving his lips. There really was nothing quite as annoying as suppressing a greatly needed eye roll, Hermione thought and turned her focus on Dumbledore, who was now making his way towards the seating area.

"By all means, sit down," Dumbledore chuckled, gesturing at the two armchairs next to the sofa where he sat down.

Hermione and Snape silently complied, both eyeing the Headmaster expectantly.

"I believe there is something else you wanted to add to your story, Severus?" Dumbledore asked calmly, eyeing the raven-haired man over his half-moon spectacles. Hermione's brows lifted slightly and she too turned to stare at Snape with curiosity.

Snape looked back with an unreadable expression. "He knows there's a time-traveller."


	42. The Diadem

**A/N:** We are approaching the end soon, folks! It will be 48 chapters in total, and I can't believe I've managed to come this far! Thank you for reading and reviewing, your comments are cheering me on :)

* * *

 **Chapter 42: The Diadem**

 **March 4th 1979 (Sunday)**

Dumbledore broke the long silence by clearing his throat. "What do you mean by that?" He asked from Snape with a careful voice.

How the Headmaster managed to be as calm as he seemed, was beyond Hermione's understanding. Her pulse was racing, and she was quite sure she would soon suffer a nervous break-down. _Voldemort knew that there was a time-traveller. What if he already knew it was her? No…This wasn't happening. What was she going to do now? Merlin, he was going to get her, wasn't he?_

Snape's lips twitched. "Let's not pretend that you are unaware of this, and that Miss Dumbledore here is actually your relative," he said darkly. Dumbledore merely stared at Snape, supposedly reading his mind for confirmation.

Hermione's breath left with a sharp puff. "W-What?"

Snape gave her a bored look. "I've known for a while now. I had my suspicions about you, and they were confirmed when the Dark Lord found out about someone breaching the timeline," He drawled, studying her features.

Dumbledore hummed. "What exactly does he know? And how?" He asked, eyeing Snape with a calculative look.

"Someone inside the Ministry. An Unspeakable, perhaps," Snape said simply.

Hermione gasped. "I thought the Order dealt with Rookwood?" Hermione said urgently, panic rising inside her.

Dumbledore lifted a hand of reassurance. "We did. But it seems that there are others as well…"

Snape nodded.

"Merlin…" Hermione whispered. There were other Unspeakables working for Voldemort? "What are we going to do?" She asked, eyeing Dumbledore anxiously.

"Severus?" Dumbledore said calmly and looked at the man closely.

Snape stared back with a blank look. "He doesn't know who it is. He only knows that _someone_ has inquired about a time-traveller some time ago, but no names have come up."

Hermione's mind whirled. By someone, did Snape mean Dumbledore? When Dumbledore had inquired about a time-traveller, after Hermione had travelled into this time?

Dumbledore nodded. "Then we do nothing yet," he said simply and turned to Hermione, a contemplative look in his eyes.

* * *

 **March 27th 1979 (Tuesday)**

Hermione was worried. She had been worried since the last Order meeting in the beginning of March. Voldemort knew there was a time-traveller. How long would it take before he realised it was her? It didn't take that long for Snape to figure it out. What if he knew already? Or had guessed? After all, her sudden appearance had been rather…sudden. What then? Why did Dumbledore think that they shouldn't do anything? And was there something they _could_ do about it? They were still in the process of destroying his Horcruxes. What if Voldemort managed to kill her? Hermione knew she was already living on borrowed time since Bellatrix's curse was supposed to kill her, but that didn't mean she was ready to die. No. Not before _he_ was destroyed. For once and for all.

James and Lily had invited their friends to their place on Tuesday night, to celebrate James's and Remus's birthdays. Remus's birthday had already been earlier that month, but since everyone had been so busy and the full moon had been a couple of days after that, they decided to gather up at the end of the month instead.

"Lily? Can I help with those?" Hermione asked as Lily organised the drinks and snacks on a side table.

The redhead had been rather down lately. After everything that had happened with James's parents and everyone else, Lily had decided to relocate her family in order to protect them. A couple of weeks ago, Lily had come to Hermione's and Remus's place, asking for Hermione's help.

 _"Hey," Lily said as she stepped into the sitting room through the fireplace a moment after she had floo-called and asked if she could come by._

 _Hermione smiled at her friend, but the smile quickly vanished as she saw the morose look on her friend's face. "What is it, Lily? Has something happened?" Hermione asked quickly, leaping on her feet from the sofa, fearing for the worst. That someone had died._

 _Lily shook her head. "No, no, nothing's happened. Not yet, at least," she muttered._

 _Hermione let out a small sigh of relief, her feelings quickly turning into confusion. "Oh? Do you want to sit down? Remus is at Sirius's, but I can floo him if you want to see him as well?" Hermione asked as she took a seat on the sofa._

 _"No, don't." Lily said promptly and sat down on the sofa, next to Hermione. "The fewer people know, the better…" She said quietly._

 _Hermione's spine prickled with anticipation and worry. "Know about what?"_

 _Lily sighed and rubbed her eyes. "The threats against muggles, the attacks…I need to get my family away from here," She said with a trembling voice, glancing at Hermione with a desperate look._

 _Oh. Hermione nodded slowly. "I'm…uh…okay." She said, nodding again. "I'll help you." She said and gave Lily a reassuring smile. Lily looked grateful. She didn't have to explain anything to Hermione, and that made everything a little bit easier._

 _A single tear escaped from the corner of Lily's eye. "Mione…" She whispered. Hermione swallowed hard. She understood. She more than understood. Hell, she had gone through it herself. She had obliviated her parents and made them move abroad, into safety. All the while taking the risk that she might not see them ever again._

 _"I know," Hermione said softly and pulled her friend into a warm hug. They were both quiet as Lily cried silently against her shoulder._

 _After a short while, the girls started going through some of the options, and in the end, Lily was quite adamant that she wanted to alter their memories, even though Hermione warned her several times about the risks._

A week after Lily's visit to Hermione, the plan had been set to motion. Lily's parents, her sister and her sister's fiancé had moved to Spain. Hermione had then realised that something else in this world had changed as well. Petunia and Vernon Dursley would never take Harry in, because if – and Hermione didn't really want to even think about the option – Lily was going to die, she would never be able to bring them back to Britain.

"No, I'm good." Lily said distractedly, continuing her work like Hermione hadn't spoken to her.

Alice gave Hermione a troubled look, but Hermione merely shook her head at her. Except for James and Hermione, Lily hadn't told anyone about the specifics regarding her family, since it was safer that way. The others only knew that Lily's family had decided to move away from Britain because of the danger they were in.

* * *

After dinner, everyone lounged comfortably in the sitting room, laughing and trading fun stories from their Hogwarts's years. Mary, Alice, Remus and Frank vacated one sofa, which had been conjured for the occasion, while Hermione, Sirius and Peter sat on another, smaller one. James was sprawled in an armchair, with Lily snuggled on his lap.

"I mean, how many times were you guys in detention during our school years?" Mary asked from the boys when they were discussing – and laughing – about the time James had ended up cleaning the teachers' bathroom without magic.

James shrugged. "Dunno…A couple of times, I suppose," He said easily, and Lily pursed her lips while Sirius, Peter and Remus burst into laughter.

"Well, I'm sure you would've been a lot more if Remus hadn't been there to keep an eye on you," Hermione said with a knowing look. She vaguely remembered Harry mentioning that Sirius had told him that Dumbledore had made Remus prefect in the hopes that he might be able to exercise some control over Sirius and James.

Sirius snorted. "I really hope you're not as naïve as you sound, kitten…" He said, sniggering with James and Peter, while Remus rolled his eyes. Hermione could see Remus's cheeks tinting with red.

"Oh? Do tell?" Hermione said curiously, looking at the boys with a hint of doubt in her eyes. Lily, Mary and Alice too stared at the boys expectantly. Of course they knew Remus had participated in the pranks, but the girls had always assumed that he wasn't the brains behind them. Or at least, that he wasn't the one urging the Marauders towards mischief.

James chuckled and turned to Remus. "Hmm…Remember that one time when we snuck into Hogsmeade, got pissed and then went skinny dipping in the Great Lake?" James asked, and Remus shook his head, looking exasperated, while Sirius and Peter laughed.

"Actually, I do remember, Prongs." Remus said wryly. "Although, if my memory serves right, after said dip in the lake you guys stole my clothes _and_ my wand, making it impossible for me to return into our dorm without being completely starkers, and embarrassed like hell. And of course, not forgetting how I ran into Slughorn on my way back to the Gryffindor Tower," Remus said with a tight smile, while his friends howled in laughter.

Hermione arched a brow, stifling a laugh. "That doesn't seem like Remus was doing anything prank-like. Actually, he sounds like a victim in this story…" Hermione said, and the girls nodded in agreement.

Sirius wiped his eyes, chuckling still. "Yeah, well, Prongs and I'll take full responsibility on the latter part of the story, but sneaking into the village for a drink and afterwards indulging in a nightly swim whilst completely inebriated was all golden prefect Moony here," he said with a wink.

Everyone laughed and Mary gave Remus a mock-shocked look. "Utterly reckless…" She gasped, giving him a teasing shove.

"When was this? How come we haven't heard about it before?" Alice asked, sniggering slightly. "And what did Slughorn say?"

Remus shrugged. "I think it was fifth year…He practically acted like he hadn't seen me at all," Remus said with a smirk, shaking his head slightly. "And no one has heard about it because…well, mainly because it was embarrassing…" Remus said tightly. "And I made the guys promise they wouldn't say anything about it," He continued, narrowing his eyes at the other Marauders, who suddenly looked a bit worried.

"I feel like we're missing something here," Lily muttered, glancing at James. "What could you have to blackmail them into keeping their mouths shut?" She asked from Remus with an incredulous look.

Remus's lips twitched. "Loads."

The girls giggled while James, Sirius and Peter exchanged slightly anxious looks.

"Oookay, so, what if we talked about something else, eh?" James asked hastily. Remus rolled his eyes with amusement but said nothing.

"Yeah, like the time you and Pads sent a fan letter to Slughorn from Snape?" Peter asked from James, sniggering when Lily whirled around to glare at her boyfriend, making James cringe.

"In my defence, the idea came to us when we were…you know, a bit sloshed," James said with a wince. Lily rolled her eyes and muttered something in the lines of "Of course you were…"

Sirius barked a laugh. "Even if it was stupid, if was hilarious! Remember when old Sluggie avoided Snivellus like a plague for the rest of the term?" He asked, giggling as he recalled the incident.

Lily huffed. "I remember that! It was on third year, and you really made him worry! He was agonising about it the whole summer, thinking that he had done something wrong, worrying that his parents would give him hell if his grades were nothing short from perfect," Lily said with a disdainful look.

James and Sirius both rolled their eyes. "Serves him right for making Pete trip down the stairs in the Astronomy tower," Sirius said darkly.

Lily pursed her lips but knew it was pointless to argue about Snape and the Marauders. The rest of the girls knew it as well. Because the truth was, both sides were just as bad. Snape hadn't been a victim of their pranks, because he had paid in kind, or even worse sometimes. Even if the boys had toned it down a bit on their last year, Hermione too had heard enough about their earlier years to make the assumption.

They moved into lighter topics, and soon they were in the middle of a discussion about the boys being Animagi.

It had been over a month ago when the boys had decided to include Mary, Alice and Frank in on their secret. Since Lily, Mary and Hermione already knew about Remus's affliction, and Lily and Hermione about the rest of the boys being Animagi, the boys had decided that they could as well share the rest of their secrets after making sure the knowledge didn't leave the room.

Alice and Frank had been shocked by the news regarding Remus, but both had assured him that it didn't matter to them the slightest. The bigger shock had come when the rest of the boys had shown their Animagus forms to their group. Mary, Frank and Alice had all gaped at the three animals in front of them, speechless. Hermione and Lily too had been a bit astounded since neither of them had seen all of them, or this close for that matter.

"It seems a bit obvious now, when you think about it," Mary said, eyeing the boys. "With all the nicknames and animal-jokes and talking about Remus's 'furry little problem'…I mean, you weren't exactly secretive about the fact that you are all…animals," She said thoughtfully.

Sirius smirked. "Always gives me the thrills when witches say that," he said with a wink. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ouch!" Sirius grunted, chuckling as the girls sent glares at his direction.

Mary rolled her eyes. "What I meant, was that someone was bound to figure it out," she said pointedly. "I mean, Hermione and Lily did, didn't they?" She asked, eyeing her friends.

Lily shrugged. "I knew about Remus, but not the others, not until I moved in with James and he disappeared during the first full moon Remus had come back...I had to practically extort the information out of him…" She said, glancing at James adoringly. James pinched her waist, narrowing his eyes at her in a playful manner.

"When did you find out about Moony?" James asked from Lily, frowning as if he tried to remember something.

Lily turned to squint at Remus. "Dunno, what was it? Our first year probably?" She asked, and Remus nodded.

"Yeah, right before the first year ended," Remus said with a small smile.

James scoffed. "So you knew about him before his mates even did?" He asked from Lily, seeming to be a bit put out by the knowledge.

Lily laughed. "Well, I _am_ his friend too…And besides, I think Hermione was the one who figured it out the fastest, right?" Lily said, glancing at Hermione.

Hermione nodded sheepishly, trying to give the others a convincing look. "Yeah. Remus had been ill for a couple of full moons, so I kind of drew it from there…" She said evasively. Hermione saw James's eyes flash with something, recognition or suspicion maybe. Either way, it unnerved her a bit. James had opened his mouth to say something, his eyes fixed on Hermione, but he didn't have time to speak when Lily disentangled herself from James's lap and stood up.

Everyone's attention moved to the redhead, who was clearing her throat and eyeing her friends with a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "I know I've been…well, in a bit of a mood lately, and, well, like everyone, I've been dealing with some crap." Lily said with a weary voice. Everyone gave her looks of sympathy and encouraging smiles.

"I'm…There's something I wanted to say…to James," She said and turned to look at him. James gave his girlfriend a lopsided smile and stared at her attentively, his brows lifted in a slight surprise.

"We've both been through a lot lately…perhaps you more than me," she said carefully, while James shook his head and gave her a sad smile. "And when I look back at how all of this started, it's like, we've faced so much up's and down's already. And even before we started dating. The first time we met, it wasn't love at first sight," She said, and when Sirius snorted quietly and James's face became redder, Lily quickly continued, "Not for me. And I'm rather sure it wasn't _love_ for you either…" She said pointedly, evidently reminiscing how James had tried to catch her attention during their school years.

"My love for you snuck up on me. It came so unexpectedly, that I didn't even realise it at first. And you didn't help with matters, you know?" She said with a mix of amusement and annoyance on her features. James suppressed a grin, looking at her with a small frown between his brows. The others around them eyed the scene cautiously.

"Your personality, your strong-willed, persistent personality…Your obnoxious hair, that you had to make even worse by ruffling it every time I stood in front of you…Your eyes, the fathomless, sincere eyes that I sometimes found myself grudgingly entranced with. And, of course your humour, which I'm still struggling to understand at times. All of that made me feel rather…confounded. And all of that made my heart skip a beat, making it clear to me that you were exactly what I was looking for," Lily said softly, and James nearly gaped at her, supposedly speechless from her confession.

Hermione had a good suspicion what it all was about, and by the looks the others gave the couple, they had too.

"Lils," James murmured, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together while she stood in front of his armchair.

"Will you marry me?" Lily asked, and there was a collective gasp amongst their friends. But it didn't matter, because nothing could've taken the couple's eyes away from each other. There was such adoration in Lily's and James's eyes, that Hermione felt her eyes moisten with tears.

James huffed. "W-What?" He mumbled and stood up, searching Lily's face.

Lily looked unsure. "Um. Will you –"

"No, I heard you," James interrupted, lifting his hand. Sirius sniggered next to Hermione on the sofa. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Shut the fuck up, Pads." James grumbled.

Sirius laughed harder. "I'm sorry, I really am," He said and nearly giggled. "This is just too much fun, really," he said and shrunk back a bit when Lily sent a glare at his direction.

Lily huffed with frustration. "I'm sorry, I was in the middle of something?" She said with annoyance, and James gave her a strained look.

"You've got something to say, James?" Lily asked with a warning voice, looking concerned all of a sudden.

James grimaced slightly before he cleared his throat. Sirius was staring at the scene with amusement, while the others were seemingly between confusion and glee.

"Um…You remember after the NEWTs, when Sirius was being an arse? And I shoved him? In the Great Hall?" James asked slowly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "If I had to remember every time one of you acted like an idiot, I would go mad…" She growled, and James nodded quickly.

"I had something with me then…I, um…It's something I asked from my parents," He said, staring at Lily with a serious look.

Hermione felt goose bumps all over her arms. She grabbed Sirius's arm, and he let out a small chuckle. "Oh my gods…" Hermione whispered.

The others started to realise it as well.

"What?" Lily snapped, eyeing the others and then James. "What did you have?"

James gave her a warm smile, staring at her with an intense look. "Something I wanted to give to you," He murmured, waving his wand. Lily gasped as soon as a small parcel landed into his hands.

Hermione felt like they were intruding a private moment, but Lily and James didn't seem to even notice the others anymore. Alice and Mary were both clutching each other where they sat, their eyes brimming with tears. Remus and Frank, who sat next to their partners, eyed their friends with knowing smiles. Peter was staring at the couple in the middle of the room with nervous anticipation, while Sirius, when he glanced at Hermione, had a huge grin on his face.

"James…" Lily whispered.

"Yes, love?" James asked quietly.

"I'm…I…"

"I will." James said sincerely.

Lily stared at him in confusion. "What?"

James smirked. "You asked me something. I gave you an answer."

"Oh. Oh! But why didn't you…? I mean, you had a ring…?" Lily stammered, staring in amazement at the now open ring box.

James grinned at Lily. "You weren't ready then. And I _was_ determined to wait until you were," He said, giving her an amused look. "Turns out, you managed to surprise me, yet again." he said, slowly pulling the ring out and holding it in place for Lily.

Lily let out a nervous laugh and lifted her hand, staring deeply into James's eyes.

"Are we really doing this?" She breathed, her face glowing with happiness.

James chuckled. "Well…this _is_ usually the thing people do after proposals," He said with a teasing smirk, and before Lily managed to scowl at him, James slipped the beautiful diamond ring on her finger.

Everyone around them started to whoop and cheer, springing to their feet to congratulate the newly engaged couple.

It was the perfect night, and Hermione couldn't have been happier for her friends. She felt unbearably overjoyed, but there was something that made everything less than perfect. Something inside of her, a dark spot in the midst of all the happiness. A reminder that while she had the privilege to witness Lily's and James's life, Harry hadn't. It made her feel cheerless, it made her insides clench with pain, and even though she tried to shake the feeling away, to appear nothing but delighted at her friends, she knew that she had failed miserably when she caught Remus staring at her with a sharp, insightful look.

* * *

 **April 14th 1979 (Easter Saturday)**

On Easter Sunday, early in the morning, they were standing in the middle of a moor, staring at the several square miles of uncultivated hill land around them. They were in Dartmoor, south Devon, where Hermione knew some duelling contest had taken place several hundred years ago, and the Quidditch world cup would be held in 1994.

Dumbledore had suggested the place, since it was quite deserted, and they could easily set up some muggle repelling charms and other wards around them to avoid anyone crossing the lands. There was only a small number of trees in the area, but they would have to put up some protective charms around them as well, so that the cursed flames wouldn't burn everything around them, or worse, make the fire spread so that it would be out of control.

"So…last ones, right?" Fabian muttered as he and Hermione set up the protective enchantments and muggle repelling charms a couple of miles away from Dumbledore and Gideon.

Hermione shrugged. "I hope so. I mean, there's always the possibility he's made more of them. It's doubtful, but…I really hope that there's only one after this one…" Hermione said, chewing the inside of her cheek as she waved her wand.

"Yeah, me too…" Fabian said darkly.

Hermione sighed. "I just…I just hope that this time…" The words stuck into her throat. She was afraid that this time someone would get hurt again, that someone might die.

"Hey." Fabian said and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We are prepared now. And last time, you did great, you know? You were the one who destroyed the locket, remember? We would all be dead if it wasn't for you…"

Hermione swallowed hard. McGonagall had still died.

"Come here," Fabian murmured, pulling her into a warm embrace, soothing her back as Hermione took in shaky breaths. "You need to brace yourself, Hermione…You can't go in there like this. You know that, right?" He said quietly.

Hermione nodded, clearing her throat. "I know." She said, taking a deep breath and breaking away from Fabian. "I know."

After a moment, during which Hermione calmed down, cleared her mind and pulled up her Occlumency shields, they apparated back to the centre of their enchanted area. Dumbledore and Gideon were already there, waiting in front of a stone podium, similar to the one they had conjured for the locket.

"Ready?" Gideon asked from Hermione and Fabian, his brow creased with tension.

Hermione and Fabian both nodded at him. It was now or never.

Dumbledore eyed the others carefully, before he too nodded and waved his wand in a small circle, pointing at the stone basin. "May I suggest that you move back a bit and keep your wands at the ready," Dumbledore said firmly, glancing at the others. They complied, quickly taking distance to the stone, scattering slightly behind Dumbledore, wands lifted and eyes fixed on the podium.

The top of the stone podium started to glow, and Dumbledore took several steps back as the Diadem appeared on top of it. They all waited anxiously.

But nothing happened. No explosion, no voices, no forces throwing them backwards.

Hermione was just about to urge Dumbledore to cast the curse, to destroy the thing, but then she noticed him standing stiffly, wavering in place.

"He's fighting the Horcrux!" Gideon yelled, waving his wand to cast the Fiendfyre curse, but then his hand stilled in the air, shaking slightly.

Even though Gideon was some distance away from Hermione, with Fabian between them, she could see his features. His face was scrunched up in concentration and…pain. Both he and Dumbledore were swaying where they stood, both fighting mentally against the piece of Voldemort's soul.

Fabian stared at his brother in shock. "GID!" He yelled in panic, running towards his brother.

"Fabian, no!" Hermione screamed. "We have to destroy it!" Hermione yelled and waved her wand, preparing to cast the deadly curse, feeling the dark magic coursing in her veins.

The air in her lungs left with a rush, her head pounding so badly that she couldn't see straight ahead. She vaguely noticed that her motions were stilled, her wand hand trembling in front of her.

" _Hermione_ …." Someone whispered.

Hermione gasped for breath, pushing herself as she tried to break free from the spell, or whatever the hell it was the Horcrux had on them.

" _Hermione_ …" Harry's pleading voice echoed in her head. " _Please, Hermione, please_ …"

 _No…No, no, no…It is not real, this isn't her Harry_ , Hermione thought, trying to shake the intrusion away from her head, trying to close her mind.

" _Hermione…I know you feel guilty for leaving us…For leaving us to death. I know._ " Harry's voice said softly. Hermione could feel sweat and…tears seeping down her face.

" _But you have a chance to save us now. To save me. To save Ron, and everybody else. I can help you…"_ Harry's voice said calmly. _"We can be together again…"_

Hermione's insides burned with grief, with guilt, with longing. _No…_ She thought. _It's not real. You're not real._

 _"Then you should've died instead of us,"_ Harry said coldly, his voice changing into a taunting sneer. " _You'd deserved to die and not live, after what you did."_ Harry growled inside Hermione's head. " _How you left us, and didn't even try to come back to us…"_

 _No…_ Hermione thought desperately, her throat constricting. _I tried. I really, really tried…I wanted so much to come back,_ Hermione shouted inwardly, blinking rapidly to see something through her blurred vision.

Harry laughed mercilessly. " _You stayed because it was easier. And you didn't even try to stop the future unfolding. The deaths you knew about. You let them die as well…"_ Harry's voice said nastily.

" _You didn't try…Not truly. Because I've seen you…I've seen inside your head. You know that I'm speaking the truth. And I will never forgive you for what you did."_ Harry's voice, high-pitched and un-Harry-ish, snarled.

 _No_. Hermione thought weakly, weeping now. She could only feel despair, pain and regret.

How dare he, how dare Voldemort taint her memories, her loved ones? Anger started to rise inside her.

"NO!" Hermione let out a muffled scream, breaking the hold the Horcrux had in her.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pressure in her head left, the force keeping her in place disappeared, and she collapsed on her knees, gasping for breath.

Remembering where she was and what was going on, Hermione quickly lifted her gaze at the stone podium, scampering up on her feet, holding her wand in front of her. She saw a fiery Sphinx sprinting towards the diadem, followed by a flaming Phoenix and an Eagle that soared side by side. Finally, a blazing Chimaera burst from the tip of Hermione's wand and charged towards the stone podium.

* * *

"Hermione, wait a moment," Gideon said as soon as they had apparated in the back garden of the Hog's Head.

Hermione turned to look at him, while Fabian and Dumbledore went inside the pub to give them a moment of privacy. The sun was shining brightly, and it was still morning, probably not even ten yet, Hermione thought as she glanced at the sky. She pulled her cloak tighter around her and eyed Gideon expectantly.

"What is it?" She asked, shivering slightly in the brisk spring air. It wasn't freezing anymore, since it was mid-April already, but the mornings were rather chilling in the North.

Gideon gave her a contemplative look. "You sure you want to go home?" Gideon asked carefully.

Before leaving Dartmoor, they hadn't talked much about what had happened, other than establishing the fact that the Horcrux had been messing with everyone's heads, reading everyone's darkest thoughts and fears and used those against them. After that, they had cleaned the area in silence and removed their enchantments and traces of magic before leaving towards Hogsmeade.

Hermione sighed. "Yes. I need to be alone right now," she muttered. Even though she knew, _she_ _knew_ the Horcrux was only reading into her insecurities and her guilt, she couldn't shake away what it had said to her. What Harry had said.

"What did it say?" Gideon asked after a short silence.

Hermione looked away, chewing at the corner of her mouth. She didn't want to talk about it. It hurt too much to even think about it. She didn't know what had happened to her friends after she had been thrown into this time. Did they even exist anymore? Did the world she once knew exist anymore?

She clenched her jaw. "It doesn't matter," she said quietly, shaking her head slightly. "It wasn't real."

Gideon took her hand gently between his, staring at her with a sorrowful look. "Hermione…" He said and swallowed hard. "I heard…Molly was dead. Because of me. They were all dead, and it was because of me," Gideon said, taking in a shaky breath. Hermione stared at him in shock. "Even though I know it wasn't the truth, it still hurt like a bitch," Gideon muttered, staring at his feet.

"Gideon," Hermione whispered, placing a soothing hand against his arm. "You…You fear for them? That someone's on going to hurt them because of you?" She asked carefully.

"Of course I fear for them. Why do you think I left Hogwarts? Why do think I'm alone? That I don't have anyone? I'm an Auror, Hermione. And we're at war." He said sharply, staring at her with dejection.

Hermione nodded slowly. That made sense. And it didn't. "You shouldn't let fear control your life," Hermione said quietly, giving his arm a sympathetic squeeze.

Gideon shook his head, looking thoughtful. "What did it say?" He asked solemnly.

Hermione took a deep breath and pulled her arms tightly around her, as if hugging herself. "It was…Harry," she whispered, and Gideon nodded, understanding of whom she was talking about.

She felt empty inside, hurting, as if it was just now that she had left Malfoy Manor, even though it had been nearly two years ago. "He, um…" Hermione said, her voice trembling. She forced herself not to cry. She had shed so many tears, felt so much guilt, pain, and misery over so many things during the past two years. It was exhausting.

"He said, that, h-he wouldn't forgive me," Hermione spoke quickly. "For leaving them to die, for letting everyone die," she said with a thick voice. She brushed a couple of treacherous tears angrily away from her cheeks with the backs of her hands, gritting her teeth as she tried to calm down. To clear her mind.

Gideon stayed silent, eyeing her with sympathy. "I'm sorry," he said eventually. "I'm sorry that you feel guilty, that you feel miserable. But what I've understood about your friends, about you, is that…You must know that no one would think that about you, right?" He said earnestly.

Hermione bit her lip to suppress a frustrated growl. She knew. Of course she knew. Harry would never, Ron would never think that way, because they were best friends. It was all in her head.

"I know," Hermione said calmly, nodding at Gideon. "I want to go home now."

Gideon gave her a wary look before he sighed. "Okay."

* * *

Hermione said her goodbyes to Aberforth, to Dumbledore, Gideon and Fabian and finally stumbled into her home, its familiar and safe smells and sights greeting her. She would only have to make it into her bedroom, pull up some silencing charms and then she could cry her eyes out, she could scream and churn in her misery.

"Hermione?"

Hermione jumped at the sound and whirled towards the kitchen, where…everyone was, as if waiting for something. For her, supposedly. Lily, Alice, Mary, Frank and Peter sat around the dining table while Remus, James and Sirius stood near them, with everyone's eyes trained towards the sitting room.

Lily, who had said her name gasped slightly as she saw Hermione's features, which Hermione assumed weren't, well…very becoming. She hadn't really slept the previous night, and instead had been tossing and turning the whole night in her old room in the Hog's Head, feeling nervous about the upcoming mission. She had a persistent head-ache which had started some time after they had destroyed the Horcrux, after all the mental struggle and pain she had gone through. She probably looked like a maniac.

"Hermione?" Remus asked cautiously, walking towards her. "Where were you? What's happened to you?" Remus asked with concern, and Hermione could only stand in place and stare at her friends, too tired to say anything, too empty to make any excuses. She had told them, well, Remus, that she would be staying at Hogsmeade a couple of days during Easter, but something in his eyes told her that he knew she had not been entirely truthful.

Hermione looked at her friends' concerned faces; filled with surprise, worry, compassion, and love. She took a couple of steps backwards to the couch and slumped down, feeling wretched, exhausted and empty, not able to hold back the tears anymore.


	43. Revealing the past

**A/N:** Aaand here we go again! Keep on reading and reviewing :)

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Revealing the past**

 **April 15th 1979 (Easter Sunday)**

 _They were listening to Potterwatch, hearing familiar and friendly voices after so many months, feeling suddenly connected to the outside world for the first time in a long while. They were laughing, and Hermione could feel hope filling her heart, finally, after many inconsolable nights and weeks. Ron had come back, and now everything seemed a bit brighter. Perhaps they were going to make it. Perhaps they were going to survive the war. It was something she hadn't even dared to think about, not before now._

 _Now they had a weapon they could use to destroy the Horcruxes. And they had actually destroyed one already. Hermione couldn't even remember the last time she had been this cheerful. Seeing both Harry and Ron beaming and chuckling at the wireless, on which they could hear Fred and George joke about Voldemort. It was something she reckoned they had needed. They had been so used to the isolation, to the loneliness, to fear even, that Hermione had forgotten there were others who fought on their side in this war as well. They weren't alone, after all._

 _But their moment of cheerfulness was short-lived. Like a flick of a wand, everything went pear shaped. Harry had said his name. Voldemort. They were captured by snatchers, and it was all downhill from there._

"Hermione?" Remus asked worriedly, sitting down beside her. Hermione could see the others following him into the sitting room, surrounding them. She didn't dare to look at their faces, where she knew she would see a variety of looks reflecting pity, worry, sympathy and concern.

Hermione took a deep breath, brushing her tears away. "I have something to tell you guys…" Hermione said with a wavering voice.

"Okay," Lily said softly and sat on Hermione's other side, taking her hand gently between hers.

Hermione swallowed deeply. "You're not going to like it. What I'm about to say. And…and…it's dangerous. If even a bit of it gets out…" She rambled, not really thinking straight.

Could she ask her friends to make an Unbreakable Vow? Would they betray her? And if not, what if someone read their minds? Voldemort already knew about a time-traveller…was she digging her own grave? She knew it was irrational to tell them anything, but she was drowning. The weight of her guilt and her memories were pushing her under the surface, and she wasn't sure if she was able to resurface without help.

"Hermione…You can trust us. We're your friends," James murmured from one of the conjured sofas next to the one she was sitting on.

Hermione gritted her teeth. "I'm…I was…" She stammered, her blurry gaze fixed on the coffee table in front of her. She couldn't look at them as she took a deep breath and started to speak. "My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a Muggleborn. And I was born on September 19th, 1979," She said and pressed her eyes closed.

Several sounds; gasps and confused voices filled the silence.

"W-What?" Lily mumbled, the first one recovering from the surprise. "What does that mean? Hermione, is everything okay?" She asked, placing a hand over her friend's forehead.

Hermione shook her head in a slight frustration, finally looking at the others. Alice, Frank, Mary and James sat next to each other on one sofa, the girls watching her with looks of confusion, while James seemed to be more contemplative than anything else. Peter and Sirius were sitting on the floor, both watching her intently. Recognition flashed in Sirius's eyes.

"No, Lils." Sirius muttered, his eyes fixed on Hermione's, an unreadable expression taking over his features. "What she meant is that she's from the future," he said slowly.

Hermione pressed her lips together, trying not to think of how accusing his voice sounded.

"Hermione?" Remus asked with a puzzled look. "Are you serious? You are…from the future?" He asked incredulously.

Lily huffed. "That's impossible. I mean, I knew you were adopted, but, you know, that was because of what happened to your family, right?" She said hesitantly, staring at Hermione with an unsure look.

"What?" Alice said quickly, looking perplexed.

"What she said," Mary said tightly, staring at Hermione in bewilderment.

Hermione sighed wearily. "I, um…I told Lily, and well, Sirius too that I was adopted by Aberforth. Which I was, actually, after I arrived here…"

Sirius cleared his throat. "So none of that happened? The attack? The Death Eaters beating you? Abusing you?" He asked darkly. "Because I swear to Merlin, Hermione – "

"Hold on for a moment, Pads," James said with an annoyed voice, staring at Hermione with surprise while Alice, Mary, Peter and Frank spluttered something unintelligible, only now hearing about the attack. "You're adopted? And what is this future crap? You're really from the future? You're not messing with us?" James asked with a demanding voice, his hazel eyes burning into hers.

"But, that's –" Lily objected.

"– An attack?!" Mary interrupted with a shrill voice, staring at Hermione in shock.

"Hermione?" Alice whispered with a dumbstruck look.

"Everybody, put a sock in it," James said warningly. Lily scowled at him and Sirius rolled his eyes but James ignored them. "Hermione?" James asked tightly, a grim look taking over his features.

Hermione swallowed hard and looked at the floor. After what seemed like several minutes, she spoke. "It's true," She said quietly and took in a shuddering breath. "I came here at the end of July, 1977. I came from the year 1998," Hermione said and glanced at the others hesitantly. Everyone stared at her with mixed looks of surprise, suspicion, bafflement, and worry.

"I was attacked. We were…my friends and I were on the run. Running away from _him._ " Hermione explained, and she could hear Alice and Peter gasp, and a strangled noise erupt from Sirius's throat but she didn't look at them.

Hermione knew that what she was doing was dangerous. She knew she would probably end up dead sooner than later because of this, but she had to tell them. She was tired of carrying the weight of the world, or rather, the fate of their world on her shoulders. And they deserved the truth. But she had to draw a line somewhere. Hermione knew she couldn't tell them about the Horcruxes, because if Voldemort found out about what they had done, that they had destroyed four of them, it would be catastrophic. They would all be dead before the last one was found. "They took us. My friends were locked up in the basement while they had some fun with me. A Mudblood," She said through gritted teeth, trying to supress her tears, trying not to see the memories of the incident at the Malfoy Manor as she spoke.

"Fuck," James breathed, while Lily drew a sharp breath and brought her hand in front of her mouth, horror in her eyes. Remus cursed under his breath.

"He's still alive in 1998?" James asked with a hint of dread in his voice. "And the Death Eaters?"

Hermione gave him a solemn nod.

"Shit…" James whispered.

Sirius clenched his jaw and frowned at her. "How do we know you're not shitting us?" He warily. "I mean, the incident in Malfoy Manor I get, but time travel…that's…I dunno, six kinds of crazy," He said with frustration.

James watched Hermione thoughtfully and then exchanged an obscure look with Sirius.

"Dumbledore trusts me. He's read my mind. If that's not enough, then I don't know what more to say…" Hermione muttered and gave her friends a helpless shrug. Then she remembered something she had that could help them believe her. "I, um…I might have something I could show you…to, you know, to prove myself." She said carefully.

There was a silence. "Well?" Sirius said impatiently.

Hermione gave him a small nod and reached for her disillusioned beaded bag, which was still attached to her hip as she hadn't really had the time to remove it after the mission. _Merlin, had it only been hours since the Horcrux had been destroyed? It seemed like weeks._ Hermione shook away the thoughts regarding the mission and instead put her hand elbow deep inside her bag.

"What?" Lily mumbled, shifting next to her.

Hermione cleared her throat. "It's, um, undetectable extension charm…" she said sheepishly, and heard Remus hum quietly. Finally, she found what she was looking for and pulled the tattered, old parchment from the bag, placing it carefully on the table.

Remus took a sharp breath. "Where did you get that?"

Sirius, James and Peter stared at the parchment with dumbfounded looks.

"Well, what is it?" Mary asked edgily, eyeing the parchment incredulously.

"The Marauder's Map. The map of Hogwarts. The one we made. And the one the caretaker took." Sirius said with an exasperated look. "So you nicked it from him?" He asked, and James arched a brow at Hermione.

"Guys…" Peter quipped after waving his wand at the Map and muttering the password. "It's not our map," He said and glanced at his mates. "…Check out the fourth floor."

Everyone leaned from their seats towards the coffee table to stare at the parchment where a handful of small dots, labelled with names, moved around the map which was showing every part of the Hogwarts castle and grounds.

Lily scoffed. "You have a _map_ of the school? And…you're following the movements of its inhabitants?" Lily asked menacingly, her voice rising. The boys shared a look of discomfort.

"Merlin, you guys are worse creeps than I thought," Mary muttered, scrunching up her nose at her boyfriend. Remus winced next to Hermione.

Sirius arched a brow at her. "Can we just focus on Hermione here?" He asked and looked at the Map again, where the passage behind a mirror on the fourth floor was marked with several x's. The twins had made the small change into the Map before giving it to Harry, marking the passageway as not in use since it was caved in her time. "What is that?" Sirius asked from Hermione with a blank look. "Have you changed it?"

Hermione shook her head. "The passage was caved in in my time. And no. I haven't done anything. You can very well check it if you'd like. Check it from my magical signature," she said with a defiant look.

James waved his wand over the parchment and after a moment he narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "Then who? Where did you get this?"

Hermione sighed. "My friend had it. He got it from Fred and George," she said tightly.

James's brows lifted with surprise. "Molly's children?"

"Yes."

James shook his head. "That doesn't necessarily prove anything. But…if Dumbledore trusts you…" He muttered and glanced at his mate. Sirius was chewing the inside of his cheek, staring at Hermione in silent contemplation.

"Assuming you are speaking the truth, how did you get out?" Remus asked, changing the subject back to Hermione's arrival.

Everyone stared at Hermione in anticipation while she worried her lip. "A Time-Turner. When the fun was over, they decided to dispose me with a curse, and it hit the Time-Turner on my neck instead. I was hurled back to this time. Or this timeline at least…" She said wearily.

"Timeline?" Remus asked with a frown.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Dumbledore thinks I'm in an alternate timeline," She said with a strained voice.

"Why?" Remus asked curiously. Hermione could see her friends frowning at her in confusion.

"Because…some events are not the same…and I've managed to change some of them," She said slowly.

Lily gasped. Mary let out a nervous laugh. James spluttered incoherently. Peter winced.

"What?" Sirius asked, eyeing her closely. "What have you changed?"

Hermione's throat constricted. What had she changed? Many things, she reckoned. And many of them she felt guilty for. "I'm, I…" She mumbled, trying to gather her thoughts. "The fates of others," She said vaguely. Everyone was silent, as they processed her words.

"What about Marley?" Sirius asked quietly. Hermione pressed her lips together while she heard yet another set of gasps around her, her eyes locked with the grey ones that had changed her life forever. Well, them and another set of identical ones.

"W-What?" Alice asked with a trembling voice. "Hermione?"

Hermione felt a lump in her throat, her eyes burning slightly as she looked at her friends. "I…I knew." She whispered, scrunching her face as the guilt and sorrow washed over her. Mary stared at her with a pained look while Alice choked down a sob.

"Y-You knew?" Lily whispered mutedly next to her. Hermione's eyes flickered back to Sirius's for a moment before she looked away. He was staring at her with a look of disbelief.

Hermione gave Lily a small nod. "I knew that she and her family had died during the war, but I didn't know when," Hermione explained. Sirius cursed loudly and stood up. He gave her a dark look, gritting his teeth before he stormed outside, slamming the door after him.

Hermione took a sharp breath, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye. She knew she had done everything there was to be done to change Marlene's fate, she knew that now. But it still hurt, she still felt guilty, especially now when she saw her friends' faces.

Alice breathed heavily, gripping Frank's and Mary's hands for support as she sat between them. Mary swallowed several times, as if something was stuck in her throat, her eyes trained on the floor. James eyed Hermione with an unreadable look before he sighed and stood up.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid…" James muttered and squeezed Lily's shoulder as he passed her on the way to the hall.

"Hermione…" Lily muttered, and Hermione turned to look at her friend, her expression a mix of confusion and betrayal. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Why hadn't she told them? Would it have changed Marlene's fate? "I wanted to." Hermione said quietly. "I told Dumbledore. The Order. They knew there was going to be a raid," Hermione said, her voice wavering a bit. "But they didn't know where, they didn't know who. No one did," She said heavily.

Alice sniffled and took a shaky breath. "Then you did everything you could, right?"

Hermione nodded. Even though it didn't feel like it. The door slammed open.

"What else?" Sirius demanded as he stormed back in, James trailing behind him. "So you knew about Marley? You knew about m-mum and dad? Prongs's parents?" he said with a trembling voice and came to stand in front of Hermione, a threatening look in his eyes. "You knew about Jason? And Allie's parents?" He asked darkly, and Hermione could feel everyone's eyes at her.

"No. I didn't know." Hermione said sincerely, and it was the truth. She'd known there were no Mr. and Mrs. Potter when she had met Harry, but she hadn't known her friend's grandparents had died during a raid. And now she wasn't that sure if they had originally died during a raid but instead died of natural causes, and this was yet another thing she had managed to change for the worse.

Sirius probably saw the hesitation in her eyes as he frowned slightly before he spoke. "And McGonagall?"

Hermione swallowed deeply. "She didn't die in my time."

Sirius scoffed. "So basically, what you mean by changing people's fates, you've managed to _fuck them up_?" He said with a hint of a sneer on his features, and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

Anger rose inside of her. Even though she gladly blamed herself about McGonagall's death, she knew her old Head of House had died because she had tried to destroy Voldemort. She had been trying to save the wizarding world from another war, just like Hermione was trying to. And then there was the fact that Hermione wasn't changing everything herself. She hadn't done anything and her parents still hadn't ended up together.

"You're an arse, Sirius Black!" She huffed, her eyes stinging with tears. "McGonagall died fighting against Voldemort. She fought to defeat him, so that there wouldn't be another war twenty years in the future," Hermione said heatedly. Everyone stared at her with alarm in their eyes, and Sirius's defiance faltered.

"Believe it or not, I have managed to do good too," Hermione gasped bitterly.

Sirius's jaw twitched. "Tell me." He said simply, his stormy grey eyes boring into hers.

"Sirius…" Lily said warningly, gaping at the raven-haired wizard.

"No. I want to know. I want to know everything." Sirius grit out stubbornly.

Remus sighed. "Pads –"

"I fucking want to know!" Sirius growled, glaring at Hermione.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Your brother," She said quietly.

Sirius's eyes widened. "Reggie?" His voice faltered slightly.

Hermione nodded. "He died fighting against _him_ in where I come from. But I've managed to prevent it."

"How do you know it won't still happen? Or if it won't happen differently?" James asked quietly, glancing at his mate who was gaping at Hermione.

Hermione clenched her jaw. "I don't! Nothing is certain! Even if I do or don't do things, something might be different from what I know," she growled, frustration taking over. "You know what I found out after graduation?" She asked from her friends with a shrill voice, and could feel everyone shifting with unease. "My parents didn't end up together in here. I do not even exist in here –" She choked, and took a calming breath.

"Hermione…" Remus muttered, placing a calming hand on her shoulder.

Hermione shook her head. "And my friends. My family. Everyone I left when I was forced to come here. I don't even know what happened to them! They could be dead for all I know," She gasped, tears seeping down her cheeks. She saw her friends cringing and flinching as they eyed her with sympathy and shame.

There was a long silence. "Mione…I'm so, so sorry," Lily whispered next to her, sniffling quietly. "I wish you'd told me sooner. I wish you didn't have to carry this…this weight with you."

Hermione let out a shaky, mirthless laugh. "Yes, well…me too," she said darkly, staring at the floor. She took a deep breath. "But it is mine to carry, and I'm…we're going to destroy _him_. Dumbledore and I. The sooner he's gone the more lives we can save…" She said quietly.

…Circe, she was going to hell for this…

" _What_?" Sirius demanded with a low voice. "Who else?"

Hermione's brow twitched, but otherwise she gave Sirius a blank look.

"What?" Lily asked with a tense look, her eyes flying back and forth between Hermione and Sirius.

Hermione turned to look at her friend, feeling stricken.

A moment after, Lily's eyes flashed with recognition. "We're not going to survive this, are we?" Lily whispered.

"Lils," James muttered.

"No, James," Lily said harshly before turning back to Hermione. "Mione?" Lily asked tightly.

Hermione sighed. "I can't tell you. And even if I did, nothing is certain anymore." Hermione said quietly. "The less I speak about the life I lived, the better. Because _he_ knows. He knows that there's a time traveller. If any of this gets out, he'll kill me…He'll kill everyone." Hermione whispered.

Lily took a sharp breath while Remus grabbed Hermione's hand. "You can trust us, Hermione. We are not going to tell anyone. Your secret is safe with us."

Everyone was silent for a while, mulling the information Hermione had told them. After some time, Alice stood up and walked to the kitchen to prepare tea. Sirius sat down on the coffee table, pulled a bottle of Firewhiskey from the insides of his jacket pocket and summoned a set of glasses from the kitchen. He poured the liquor into several glasses next to him on the table before bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a hefty swig straight from the bottle.

"So let me get this straight," Sirius said while Frank went to the kitchen to help his wife. "Voldemort knows about a time traveller, but he doesn't know it's you, right?" He asked with a deep frown, and Hermione gave him a nod.

Sirius took another gulp while James, Peter, Remus and Mary all took glasses of Firewhiskey from the table. "And you are the only one who can destroy him faster than how he was killed in your…timeline?" He asked tightly, his eyes searching her face.

Hermione worried her lip. "Well, I'm not the only one. Dumbledore, Gideon and Fabian are –"

"Yeah, okay. So only you, Dumbledore and the Prewetts know how to proceed, right?" Sirius interrupted, eyeing Hermione closely.

Hermione gave him a hesitant nod.

"And going to these secret missions doesn't exactly keep you safe, I reckon?" Sirius asked bluntly.

Hermione sighed. "No," she said quietly.

Sirius took another swig. "So you stay safe from now on. If Voldemort's out there, looking for you, the best chance for you is to stay hidden. Like, not leave your house, hidden…" he said plainly.

Hermione huffed. "I'm not going to hide in my home, Sirius." She said with a hint of annoyance. She almost laughed at the irony of all of it. How Sirius had been the one, the prisoner in his own home, how James and Lily had done the same.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Sirius is right…" Lily said tentatively, and Sirius sent Hermione a triumphant smirk. "I mean, I don't understand why Dumbledore hasn't suggested it to you himself?" Lily asked with confusion in her voice, and Hermione cringed.

Dumbledore had suggested it before they had left to the moor, to destroy the diadem, but Hermione had refused.

"There are spells we can do to protect you. Like, I don't know, a Fidel –"

"Please don't say a Fidelius Charm, Lils," Hermione grumbled, and Lily arched a brow at her.

James huffed. "I think it's brilliant. I mean, think about it…We choose a Secret Keeper for you, and then –"

"I'm sorry, could you three speak English?" Mary grunted, eyeing her friends with an irksome look.

Alice came back from the kitchen, levitating the tea tray and nodded in agreement. "What she said."

Lily pursed her lips. "The Fidelius Charm is an ancient charm that involves a concealment of information inside a living person," Lily explained to her friends.

"Ooh…" Mary muttered. "That makes sense, right?" She asked from the others, and everyone seemed agreeable.

"No!" Hermione shouted, standing up abruptly. "I…I can't do this right now…" She muttered, shaking her head as she walked quickly towards the stairs and up into her room.

A moment later Hermione was lying on her bed, staring at the canopy and trying to think of a solution for everything. Voldemort had known about a time-traveller over a month already. What were the odds that he would find her? And how would it happen? On her way to work, perhaps? Or from one of her friends' homes? The Order missions were certainly over for her. And now she had only given him more ammo against her, since eight more people now knew her secret. Hermione trusted her friends, but it took only a dose of Veritaserum or a skilful Legilimens to find out about her. And not even the Unbreakable Vow could protect her from that.

Lily entered to Hermione's room after a soft knock on the door. "Mione?" Lily asked quietly as she walked closer towards her friend. Lily lay down on the bed next to her, letting out a weary sigh. They were silent for a while.

"I'm pregnant."

Hermione shot up into a sitting position, staring at her friend in utter shock. "What?!" She shrieked, and Lily too stood up, clamping a hand against Hermione's mouth.

"Shut up, you daft! No one knows," She hissed, glancing at the door. She flicked her wand and cast a silencing charm before speaking. "I suppose you didn't expect that," Lily said with a smug smirk as she plopped back down to lie on her back.

Hermione spluttered. "W-What? I'm…Um…No…H-How?" She rambled and stared at her friend in wonder, an unbelieving smile tugging her lips.

Lily gave her friend a quizzical brow. "Didn't reckon you for one to ask how it's done," she said teasingly. Hermione narrowed her eyes. Lily chuckled. "I just found out today, and even James doesn't know yet…I've been feeling ill for ages, and well, I guess this was the reason…" She said with a mild shrug, and Hermione shook her head in astonishment.

"Oh, Lils…I'm so happy for you," Hermione said with a huge smile on her face. She could feel her eyes moisten with tears of joy. Lily was pregnant? A mix of unbearable joy filled her.

And then dread followed.

She was pregnant already? But Harry was born at the end of July, 1980. Things were changing again. Would there be a Harry anymore? What if Harry wouldn't born in this timeline?

Lily grinned back. "Me too. But, um…Do it for me, Hermione?" She asked, her features becoming serious. Lily eyed her friend with a pleading look in her eyes as she stood to sit on the bed. "Stay here. Stay safe." Lily said carefully. Hermione worried her lip.

"My kid needs his godmother," Lily said softly.

A second passed as Lily's words hit her. Hermione choked back a sob. Tears seeped down her cheeks as Lily enveloped her friend into a warm hug.

"Okay. I'll do it," Hermione whispered with a trembling voice, sniffling against her friend's hair.

* * *

 **June 23rd 1979 (Saturday)**

Two months. Two frustrating, excruciatingly long months had passed, and Hermione had been trapped inside her home. She hadn't stepped outside since April, and it was beginning to show.

"I swear to Merlin, _Black_ , if you do not fix it, you won't live to see tomorrow!" Hermine shrieked to Sirius's sniggering back that vanished through the flames of their fireplace.

The raven-haired man had spent the night on their sitting room couch, and apparently watched the telly instead of sleeping. Something had happened, and now all there could be seen on the screen, was static.

Remus had run downstairs, evidently woken up by Hermione's screams, and after realising his friend wasn't in danger, he cleared his throat nervously. "Um. It's only a television, Hermione…"

Hermione whirled to glare at her friend, who seemed to shrink from her look. Remus was still wearing only boxer shorts, and he draped his arms around his torso, seemingly feeling self-conscious. Hermione let out a sharp huff. " _For you_ , perhaps. For me, it's a lifeline. You know, not being able to step outside this house? At least with the telly I know what's going on in the world," She said through gritted teeth, waving at the now broken television set.

After revealing her past to her friends, and then speaking with Dumbledore, Gideon and Fabian, Hermione had eventually agreed to go into hiding. They were close now, only one Horcrux left, and the war was clearly reaching its peak. It wasn't safe anymore on the streets, and the Order missions and raids were now more unexceptional than they were not. Voldemort knew about the time-traveller, and based on Snape's information, he was searching for her. When over a dozen people now knew about her, it was only a matter of time when he would find out her identity.

Hermione was the Secret Keeper of her home, of herself, and had trusted the hidden information to her friends, who were now bound by the Fidelius Charm and not able to pass the information on. It was the only way. Even though Hermione trusted her friends, she knew everything could be extracted from a person with threats, with Legilimency, with torture, and with Veritaserum. The only downside of the arrangement was that she wasn't able to step outside. Even with disillusionment charms or invisibility cloaks, it was too risky. After making her decision, Hermione had owled Viridian and explained that due to personal issues she had experienced lately, she needed some time off. Viridian had been quite understanding, since it wasn't unexpected these days, unfortunately. Due to the continuous disappearances and attacks, several others had quit their jobs and gone into hiding, or moved to stay with their relatives. Everything started to remind Hermione of her last year in her old life, their year on the run. It was just a question of time when the Ministry was taken over by Voldemort. Again.

Remus summoned his t-shirt and sweatpants and rubbed his neck uncomfortably after getting dressed. "I…I'll just head to Godric's Hollow to see if Lily knows what to do...Okay?" He asked hesitantly.

Hermione sighed wearily, her annoyance fleeting after seeing Remus's helpless look. They all wanted to make it easier for her. They all wanted to help her. "No, don't. Lily will be here later on, so I can ask her to take a look at it then…I have to start making preparations," She muttered and went towards the kitchen.

Remus followed her and fixed them both a cup of tea. "Can I help with anything?" He asked as he offered her a cup and leaned against the counter, eyeing his friend with a worried look.

Hermione sipped her tea. "No. Thank you, Remus," She said with considerably softer voice. "Allie will be here in an hour, and Mary's here already, right?" She asked and when Remus nodded, she continued, "They will help me to get everything ready for the evening."

"Good. What are you planning to do?" He asked, watching Hermione as she flicked her wand and set a cupcake baking into motion.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing much to do if we are locked up in here…" She said with a hint of bitterness, and cleared her throat. "I mean, what is normally done in a slumber party…" She muttered, flipping the pages of a cookbook.

Lily had insisted that she wanted the girls to have a slumber party instead of a hen night. The redhead had explained that she missed the times the girls were spending a night together in a huge bed filled with food and sweets as they exchanged gossip and stories. Hermione had suspected that not going to a club, or outside for that matter, had something to do with Hermione's house arrest, and the fact that Lily was pregnant. Everyone in their group knew about the pregnancy by now, as Lily was already in her second trimester. James had been ecstatic after she'd told him, overwhelmed with joy, as had everyone else in their group once they'd found out.

Remus smirked. "I dunno…A pillow fight?"

Hermione snorted. "Wouldn't you like to witness that…" She said dryly, and Remus gave her a mischievous grin. "Actually…now that I think about it, you better tell Sirius that we are indeed engaging into a pillow fight, you know, like the kind of he's read about in his magazines," Hermione said and gave Remus an arched brow and a half smirk.

"Sure you want me to do that? I mean, he might just barge right in here," Remus said and laughed.

Hermione shrugged. "We'll close up the floo and wards."

They shared a laugh as Remus started to make them breakfast while Hermione made other preparations for the night.

* * *

"Never have I ever…tried to flirt my way out of a Troll in a school essay," Lily said and gave Mary a pointed look. The brunette narrowed her eyes at her friend and took a shot of Firewhiskey.

They were in Hermione's and Remus's sitting room, and had transfigured the couch into a large mattress, on which they were all lying and sitting on in various poses. The mattress and floor around them was filled with pillows, blankets, snacks and drinks. This time it had been Mary who had insisted that they needed a bottle or two of the strong amber liquid, even though Hermione and Alice had told her they were content with their elderflower wine, while Lily was on the pumpkin juice.

"Do tell!" Hermione said and giggled with Alice and Lily, eyeing Mary's flushed face.

The girl in question shrugged. "It was fifth year, and Professor Peakes, our DADA teacher, had given us an essay to write. And, well, Marley and I had this kind of…competition over the Professor, like, which of us would get him," She said slyly, and the girls burst in laughter. Mary chuckled before she continued, "Yes, I know. As if a teacher would look a student in that kind of way," She said dryly and turned to Hermione with an arched brow.

Hermione spluttered. "W-What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, slightly affronted.

Alice coughed, making a noise that sounded very much like 'Gideon'.

Hermione scoffed. "You can't be serious. We are friends, for Merlin's sake!" She exclaimed, staring at her friends with incredulity.

The girls exchanged meaningful looks, before Mary cleared her throat. "Even if you are oblivious to the way he's looked at you, _we_ aren't," Mary said primly, and Hermione rolled her eyes, muttering something that sounded much like, 'You're all delusional'.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Marley and I were competing of Peakes's attention, and I succeeded by failing my essay deliberately. Peakes gave me a Troll, and well, I tried to flirt my way out of it, only ending up in detention from making a move towards a Professor," Mary explained, grinning widely as the others sniggered around her.

"I can't even understand what you two saw in him…" Lily muttered disapprovingly. "I mean, he was an adult, like, I don't know, probably twenty years older than us. And a _teacher_!"

Alice shrugged. "I think half the girls in Hogwarts were head over heels for him."

Mary nodded. "You just had eyes for Potter," She said and waggled her brows at Lily, who huffed and nudged at Mary with her foot. "I bet even Hermione here has had a crush on a teacher, eh?" Mary asked, waggling her brows at Hermione's direction.

Hermione blushed.

"Ooh, you do, don't you!" Alice exclaimed enthusiastically.

Hermione tried to seem nonchalant. "And luckily, I don't have to answer to that," She said with a sweet smile.

Mary smirked at her. "We'll see…"

"Okay, so, Mary, you are up," Lily said, while unwrapping a chocolate frog.

Mary hummed for a while, tapping her lip with a finger as she contemplated her next statement. "Never have I ever…fallen asleep or spent the night in a library." Mary said, smirking at Hermione.

Hermione grimaced. Mary clearly meant that night Hermione had spent with Regulus, in the Room of Requirement, and then told everyone afterwards that she had fallen asleep in the Hogwarts library. So, technically she hadn't been there, but everyone still thought so. "Um…" Hermione muttered.

"I KNEW IT!" Mary yelled, a triumphant look on her face. "You were shagging Black, weren't you?!"

Lily and Alice both snorted. Hermione flushed bright red.

"I'm…sorry?" Hermione said with a wince. Lily, Alice and Mary sniggered.

Mary waved her hand in dismissal, a grin tugging her lips. "Your turn."

Hermione tried to clear her mind from thoughts regarding Regulus. She hadn't heard of him in several months, not since last December. "Um…Never have I ever, um…I dunno…never have I ever kissed a girl," Hermione said eventually, not really coming up with anything clever.

She was utterly surprised when Lily and Alice both blushed and downed their drinks, Lily her pumpkin juice and Alice the contents of her wine glass.

"Well, fuck me running," Mary said as she gaped at her friends, a huge grin plastered on her face. "Care to enlighten us?" She asked with amusement while Alice and Lily both squirmed with discomfort. Hermione was speechless.

Lily sighed. "Well…it was the summer after third year, right?" She said and glanced at Alice, who nodded. "Neither of us had kissed anyone before that, and, well, basically we wanted to try it before we would kiss boys," Lily said, trying to appear nonchalant. Alice scratched her head awkwardly. Mary and Hermione giggled.

"So…your first kiss was…with a girl?" Hermione asked eventually. Alice and Lily both gave shameful nods.

"Did you go to second base?" Mary asked, smirking while Hermione snorted loudly.

"NO! Of course not!" Lily snapped, while both she and Alice looked mortified.

Mary and Hermione shared a sly look while Lily cleared her throat. "I believe it's my turn…And I think retribution is in order," Lily said and narrowed her eyes at Hermione.

 _Brilliant_. Hermione thought.

"Never have I ever…Had a crush on a teacher," Lily said primly.

"Bottoms up, girls!" Mary exclaimed gleefully.

Hermione rolled her eyes and downed her drink. She knew Lily could've had said much worse things, so she grinned at her friends when both Alice and Mary downed their drinks and said in unison, "Peakes."

"It was, um, Gilderoy Lockhart." Hermione said simply, knowing fully well they would know him from Hogwarts.

Mary guffawed. "Not the _third year Ravenclaw_?"

Lily gasped. "Hermione…He's a…child…"

Hermione gave her friend an arched brow. "He was very much an adult when he was teaching DADA in my second year."

Lily stared at Hermione with an unbelieving look. "A DADA teacher. Lockhart. But he's…he's –"

"He's a twat," Mary quipped, and when Lily narrowed her eyes at her friend, Mary shrugged. "He is!"

Alice chuckled. "So…were you like…flirting with him?" Alice asked and waggled her brows.

The girls burst in laughter. Hermione pursed her lips but eventually cracked a smile and laughed with her friends.

* * *

"Well, that's easy. Fuck Hooch, marry Pomfrey, kill Sprout." Sirius said with a smirk as he poured Firewhiskey into five glasses and then snatching one for himself.

They were at Sirius's place, starting James's stag night. The guys too had decided to stay in for the night, since they knew they would probably be an easy target if they'd be legless and out and about on the streets where the dangers loomed.

James supressed a shiver and scrunched up his nose. "You'd bang Hooch?" He asked incredulously. "Doesn't her eagle-stare make your bollocks shrink?" He asked and took a swig from his Butterbeer. Sirius barked a laugh.

"I'd fuck Sprout for sure, marry Hooch and kill Pomfrey," James said with a shrug.

"Mate. You realise you'd have to fuck Hooch if you'd marry her?" Sirius asked with a snort. Remus, Peter and Frank sniggered.

James shrugged. "I dunno…It could be one of those sexless marriages."

Remus shook his head with amusement. "Well, that's a healthy way to think about marriage while celebrating your stag night, mate…"

James rolled his eyes. "Okay. So. Meadowes, Vance, Figg?" He asked with a smirk.

Peter sniggered. "Fuck Vance, definitely. Marry Meadowes, kill Figg," He finished with a cringe.

"Same." Sirius, Remus, James and Frank said in unison.

"Okay. Snape, Sluggie, Aubrey?" Peter asked with a chuckle.

"Ew, Pete." Sirius said, making a gagging sound. "You realise we'd rather die than touch anyone of them?"

Peter shrugged. Everyone was quiet for a while, contemplating their answers.

"Fine." Sirius grunted and took a shot of Firewhiskey. "Fuck Snape, marry Aubrey, kill Sluggie."

Everyone burst in laughter.

"Bloody fuck you're giving me a stroke, Pads!" James wheezed between laughter.

Remus scratched his jaw. "If I'd be totally out of it, I'd fuck Sluggie," He said with a shrug.

"You're fucking disgusting, Moony," James said and shuddered as he gave his friend an appalled look.

"Well, what says Prongs?" Sirius smirked slyly at his friend.

James arched a brow at his friends. "I'd fuck Aubrey, marry Sluggie, kill Snape. Obviously."

"And marrying good old Sluggie's not disgusting at all?" Sirius said with a wry smile. "Okay…So how about the Dumbledore brothers and…Moody?" He asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Mate…You're killing us…" James said with a groan.


	44. The Potters

**A/N:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! The end is nearing, folks. Four chapters left!

* * *

 **Chapter 44: The Potters**

 **July 21st 1979 (Saturday)**

It had been almost two years ago, on the first of September, when Hermione had met Lily and James for the first time. So much had happened since that day – the first day of their friendship. Lily and James hadn't been together then, and even though James had dated a different girl in the start of the term, everyone around them had known the pair was destined for each other. Or so many of their friends now said, on their wedding day.

Hermione glanced at the people around her, feeling a bit nervous. "Erm, hello everyone," Hermione started, trying not to narrow her eyes at Sirius, who was smirking at her discomfort.

They were gathered in James's family cottage lands in Yorkshire Wolds. The cottage itself wasn't a glamorous place, but the landscape – with its gentle rolling hills, lush grass paths and charming little villages nearby made it a rather perfect wedding venue. There were a little over thirty of them, and nearly everyone was part of the Order. Molly, Augusta Longbottom and Marilyn Bones had made miracles in the gardens while the girls had helped Lily to get ready. Lily and James were to be married in a large pavilion, under a beautiful and magnificent floral ceiling that was accented with hanging crystals and shimmering lights which stood out as the sun started to set.

"I'd like to thank Lily and James for inviting me and every one of us to be a part of their special day. As most of you know, we don't go back a long way. I actually met both Lily and James less than two years ago, when I started my seventh year at Hogwarts, after being sorted into the same house," She said, and saw many friendly faces beaming at her.

Hermione, Mary, Remus, Alice, Frank, Peter and Sirius sat at a table next to Lily's and James's smaller one. Edgar Bones and his wife, Marilyn, and their children sat at the next table with Sturgis Podmore, Augusta Longbottom and her husband. Dorcas Meadowes, Caradoc Dearborn, Gideon, Fabian and Emmeline Vance – Fabian's fiancée – sat on the other side, with the Weasleys beside them at their own table. Dumbledore, Aberforth, Moody, Dedalus Diggle and Elphias Doge were situated at the furthest and smallest table opposite to the bride and groom, making it a full circle.

"After my arrival, I was a bit concerned whether or not I'd make any friends in a foreign school, where the girls in my dorm had known each other for several years. I soon realised that all my worries were for nothing, because right from the first night, Lils and the rest of the girls took me in to be a part of their group, like I had always belonged there," She said and smiled when she saw Mary arch an amused brow, presumably thinking back the time when Hermione had told the girls that she had actually gone to Hogwarts in the future, and knew everything there was to know about the school. Foreign indeed.

"During these past two years us girls have shared many things together. We've laughed together, cried together, and more than often laughed until we've cried. We've faced many hardships together as well, like everyone else in these times," Hermione said and gave Lily and the girls a sad smile when she saw their slightly sorrowful looks.

They were probably all having the same thoughts – thinking about the friends and loved ones they had lost. "But there's been so much good, so much love, and so much happiness during the little time we have known each other. Like the time when Lily and James finally realised that they were meant to be," Hermione said with a wry smile at Lily and James, when some of their friends chuckled quietly. "Or the time they told me about their new family member," Hermione said and gave her friends a fond smile. Lily sniffled slightly, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye while she still glowed with happiness.

Lily truly was a beautiful bride. She wore a Grecian style wedding gown, and her long, curly auburn hair was adorned with a gorgeous ivory flower crown. James too was looking rather handsome in his dress robes, eyeing his wife lovingly and stroking her round belly through the fabric of her dress.

"Lily and James, you both know that love isn't always easy, and it isn't perfect. You have already faced challenges and sorrows together, but you still know how to hold on and never let go. That is something I'm honoured to be able to witness. I admire your strength and your love, and I only hope that one day I will find something as pure as you have found." Hermione said and swallowed a lump from her throat while smiling at the bride and groom. James grinned at her while Lily pressed her lips together, blinking rapidly to stop herself from tearing up.

"So…if everyone could raise a glass with me to congratulate the stunning couple. We wish you a lifetime of happiness." Hermione said, her voice cracking slightly, but it didn't matter, because everyone stood up and lifted their glasses, congratulating the couple.

Hermione wiped a few stray tears away from her cheeks. Before she sat down with the others, Lily stood up and walked to her, and pulled her friend into a crushing hug. "Thank you, Mione," Lily murmured.

As the girls broke off and went back to their seats, eyes glistening with tears, Sirius was already standing up and beginning his best man's speech.

"Well, thanks for that, kitten…I think I haven't cried since…well, never," He said and wiped his eyes with an exaggerating manner, while some of the guest laughed slightly. Sirius sent a wry looking Hermione a teasing wink before he continued, "As most of you know, James and I are distantly related," Sirius said with a slight amusement in his eyes. "But since, you know, my family's a bit…deranged, I only met James for the first time in the Hogwarts Express, and slightly after that, Lily at the start of term feast in the beginning of our first year at Hogwarts," Sirius said, smiling to himself, supposedly reminiscing the first time he'd met the couple. "James and I…We quickly became brothers. Inseparable, of course. Co-dependent on each other, some might say," He said and smirked at James. James was chuckling, probably to some inside joke of theirs.

"I spent my holidays with James's family, and his parents took me in a couple of years after, when I decided that I'd had enough of my dear mother's upbringing…" Sirius said with a small smirk, and a few of the guests gave him entertained looks.

"There are not enough words to describe our friendship. I mean, we're like sin and damnation. Like stoners and snacks. Or like two foxes in a hen house," he said and shared an identical grin with James. "But I never pictured myself getting married like you did, mate. I was too busy being a rebel to keep my own scrapbook," Sirius said and winked at his friend, who shook his head with amusement. Many guests laughed lightly.

"And even though I know I'm funnier than you, and well, let's face it, more adorable, I reckon there's much that I can learn from you. And much that I can look up to in you. I love you, mate. And I couldn't be happier for you, my brother." He said and lifted his glass for a toast. Everyone followed his example while the boys shared a long hug.

Later on, after the speeches, after the cake, Hermione was sitting at an empty table, smiling wistfully as she watched her friends dance in the middle of the large charmed pavilion. It felt good to be out again. Amongst other people. She didn't really mind that much being at home all the time, but she had been hiding there for three months while everyone around her was moving forward with their lives, with their jobs and studies. Even she had her limits.

"Sulking here already?" Gideon asked as he sat down next to her. Fabian and Emmeline followed him and sat on his other side.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Gideon before turning her eyes at the couple. "I believe we haven't been formally introduced," She said and gave Emmeline a pleasant smile. Of course, she had seen the other woman in the Order meetings, but they hadn't really spent any time together before. "I'm Hermione."

Emmeline cracked a smile, sweeping her long black hair behind her back. "Oh, I know. I've heard a lot about you," She said, glancing at Gideon and Fabian mischievously before she shook Hermione's outstretched hand. "Emmie. Good to finally meet you."

"Likewise. I trust you won't believe anything they say?" Hermione asked with a hint of worry, while Fabian sniggered.

Emmeline gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Naturally."

Hermione grinned, warming up to the witch immediately. She was tall and slender and very beautiful, a woman around her mid-twenties. Even though she seemed kind and easy to be around with, Hermione saw a certain amount of fierceness in her dark blue eyes and posture.

Gideon chuckled. "We're not that bad, you know…" He muttered and took a sip from his Butterbeer.

"Speak for yourself, brother," Fabian quipped and stood up. "Now, I reckon the most stunning witch owes me a dance," he announced, and walked next to Hermione's chair.

Hermione spluttered, her eyes darting between Fabian and Emmeline, who both sniggered. Gideon shook his head in exasperation.

"Um…" Hermione stammered, not really knowing how to react.

"Come on, little Dumbledore. I dare you," Fabian said with a teasing smirk, holding his hand to her.

Hermione glanced at Emmeline, who burst in laughter. "He can't help himself. It'll only get worse if you stall," Emmeline said and jerked her head at the dance floor, smiling at the younger witch.

Hermione arched a brow at Fabian as she stood up and took his hand.

"You could've just asked me to dance with you…" Hermione muttered as they walked towards the centre of the floor.

Fabian chuckled. "I could've. But then I would've missed all the fun," He said with a wink, took her hand and twirled her around. Hermione tried to narrow her eyes at him but eventually his exaggerating moves and his huge grin made her laugh.

When the song was over, Hermione excused herself to the ladies' room and Fabian returned back to their table. She stepped inside the empty cottage just as her purse started to heat up between her fingers.

"W-What…?" Hermione mumbled and stopped in her tracks, staring at the purse in confusion.

"Oh!" She whispered loudly as she realised what it was, and quickly searched through her purse, pulling out a golden coin.

 _I need to see you –RB_

Hermione gasped. "Reg…" She whispered, and pressed her wand to the coin.

 _Is everything okay? –HD_

She worried her lip as she waited his answer. Had something happened to him? She knew Regulus had graduated, but he hadn't contacted her in over a half a year. She hadn't seen him in a long time. Hermione had thought that Regulus had lost his coin, since he hadn't answered her when she had sent messages to him earlier that year. Knowing that he had had the coin all this time was both upsetting and relieving.

 _Yes. 30min? –RB_

Hermione huffed. Why did he want to meet her? What if it was trap? Was it even Regulus who had sent the message? What if someone had taken the galleon from him, figuring out what it was and to whom it was connected to? What if it was Voldemort himself who was trying to set up a meeting with her? Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, frustrated by her paranoid thoughts. But it wasn't all for nothing, since Hermione knew Voldemort was searching for her. The coin heated against her palm again.

 _Trust me, love. –RB_

Hermione read the message over and over again, swallowing hard. She had to see him. What if it was important? Even if it wasn't, she needed to see him, to make sure he was all right.

 _Okay. –HD_

Hermione knew he wouldn't come to her home, in case he was followed by someone. Regulus surely knew that Voldemort was searching for the time traveller, and he wouldn't place her in any danger. She knew that he could find her wherever she was, but she also knew that she couldn't see him in the midst of Lily's and James's wedding celebration. She had to walk outside the wards and apparate to somewhere else before Regulus would arrive. But how in the name of Merlin could she slip away without anyone noticing?

"Kitten…?" Sirius called as he stepped inside the dimly lit cottage. Relief settled into his face when his eyes located her. "There you are." He said cheerfully and walked towards her. "Everything okay?" He asked with a wary tone as he assessed her.

Hermione swallowed and quickly pushed the coin back into her purse. "Um…"

"That my brother?" Sirius asked with a hard look.

Should she lie to him? Hermione frowned as she contemplated her answer, deciding to stick with the truth. "He, um…He asked if I could meet him…" she said with a slight cringe.

"Now?" Sirius asked and eyed her suspiciously. "Why?"

Hermione shrugged helplessly.

Sirius scoffed. "Didn't it occur to you that it might not be him?" He asked tightly.

Hermione pressed her lips together.

"Bloody hell, Hermione…We haven't heard of him for over seven months! What if it's someone else sending the messages, huh? What if someone's making him? Or…What if he's, you know…gone back to their side?" Sirius asked heatedly, his voice rising with his frustration. Hermione could feel the energy crackling around them.

She let out a heavy sigh. "I know, okay?" She said sharply. "But what if it is him? What if he's not okay? What if he has valuable information?"

Sirius rubbed the bridge of his nose and was silent for a while. "Where are you meeting him?" He asked wearily.

Hermione shrugged. "Away from here. Some forest or a muggle village, perhaps…"

"My place. And I'm coming with you," Sirius said determinedly, giving her a hard look.

"No."

He gave her a tight smile. "Trust me, kitten. I'm not going to let you leave here by yourself. So it's either us meeting my dear brother, or me dragging you back to the party, attached to me for the rest of the night," He said easily. "Personally, I'd take the latter, you know," He added and gave her a knowing smirk.

Hermione whacked him in the arm, making him wince.

"Shit, you have a mean hook," Sirius muttered. When Hermione's eyes narrowed, his expression sobered. "I meant what I said. I'm coming with you," he said blankly, the humour gone from his expression.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Fine. But we are leaving now." She said stiffly, while Sirius seemed satisfied.

"Brilliant. I'll let Moony know," He said brightly. "Meet me at the back in a bit," He said and turned away from her, leaving the cottage.

Hermione let out a frustrated huff and crossed her arms over her chest. "Bloody dog," She muttered.

* * *

"Well? Where is he?" Sirius asked with a hint of agitation as he poured Firewhiskey into two tumblers. They were at his house, in the sitting room, waiting for Regulus to show up. Hermione was pacing in front of the fireplace.

"I don't know!" She said with frustration. "I told him we're here. Are you sure he's able to come through the wards?" Hermione asked, worrying her lip.

Sirius rolled his eyes and slouched on the couch, sipping his drink. "As I already told you – twice might I add – " He said pointedly, ignoring her scowl and continued, "There aren't any wards he wouldn't be able to pass."

Hermione nodded and continued pacing, glancing at the time piece on the wall every now and then. Then a faint pop came from the other end of the room.

Regulus was there.

Hermione took in a sharp breath. He looked so white, so thin, so…broken. "Regulus," Hermione breathed, taking a step towards him. Sirius sprung into his feet and grabbed her hand, his wand trained at his brother.

"Sirius, what are you –"

Sirius ignored Hermione and spoke to Regulus. "Long time no see, brother." He was staring at Regulus with a hard look in his eyes, his body rigid and ready to defend himself. "Or if you are my brother," Sirius continued with a wry smile.

Regulus's lips twitched. "By all means, brother, make sure of it then." He said quietly and gave Sirius a meaningful look.

Hermione didn't have time to act or say anything, before Sirius moved his wand and said, " _Legilimens_ ".

She knew they taught Legilimency and Occlumency in the Auror Training, but she hadn't realised that Sirius had mastered the skills. There was a long silence, during which both men shook a little, their eyes locked onto each other, sweat beading on their upper lips. Finally, the spell was broken, and both Sirius and Regulus were panting slightly.

Sirius gave Hermione a piercing look before he muttered, "He's good," and walked back to the couch and poured himself another drink before sitting down.

With a slight hesitation, Regulus walked towards the seating area where Sirius was lounging and Hermione was standing. "Hermione," Regulus said softly, his features softening as he stopped in front of her and looked at her.

Hermione swallowed. "Reg." There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to ask from him, but she could only stare at the intense look in his grey eyes. It seemed to reach all the way into her soul and it made her wonder if he felt the same still.

"Fancy a drink, brother?" Sirius interrupted, eyeing the pair carefully.

Regulus blinked and turned to look at his brother. "Laced with Veritaserum, I assume?"

"Naturally," Sirius said with a small smirk.

Regulus huffed with amusement and took the drink his brother was offering him. He sat down in an armchair next to the couch where Sirius sat, where he proceeded to sip his drink.

"Are you betraying us?" Sirius asked immediately after Regulus had swallowed.

"No," Regulus said quickly, his eyes glassy, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I'd never betray either one of you."

Hermione cleared her throat and gave Sirius an incredulous look. "Was that necessary? How much did you put into it?" She asked from Sirius, glancing at Regulus with a small worry.

Sirius shrugged. "Enough. Thought we ought to be certain he's not double-crossing us…" He muttered.

"Regulus?" Hermione asked softly, sitting on the armrest of the couch, between the brothers. Grey, unfocused eyes turned to her direction, and he looked even more ill now, up close. "How are you?" She asked, and heard Sirius groan and mutter "Hermione…".

Regulus's face twisted with discomfort, revealing some of his emotions. "Dreadful, I'm afraid. Lately…lately I've been studying new ways to torture people under my cousin's watch," Regulus spoke with an uneven voice, evidently trying to fight the potion and prevent himself from spilling every thought and feeling that was filling his mind.

"Shit…" Sirius said quietly and cleared his throat while Hermione stared at Regulus with a deep worry edged on her face. "Does someone feed _him_ Order information?" Sirius asked, eyeing his brother closely.

Regulus shook his head. "N-Not that I'm aware of."

"Does anyone know you are here?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"No."

There was a short silence. "You wanted to see Hermione? Why?" Sirius asked blankly.

Regulus blinked, struggling to speak. "S-Something has reached to my knowledge. One of the…o-objects," Regulus said, clenching his jaw. Hermione instantly knew what he was talking about.

"What?" Sirius muttered, frowning at Regulus in confusion.

"Sirius?" Hermione said quickly. "I'd like to speak with Regulus alone," She said, grimacing inwardly. She knew that Sirius resented her for keeping information from him, and now she was asking him to leave even though they both knew Regulus had something important to say.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her. "And why would you want that?" He asked suspiciously.

Hermione let out a weary sigh. "Sirius…please?" Hermione said softly, giving him a pleading look. "You know it's something I can't talk about, not with you, or the others. It's safer that way…"

It wasn't the first time her friends had tried to inquire about her secret missions, even more so when they all knew the missions were about Voldemort, but they all had understood that she would talk to them eventually. Even Dumbledore had asked everyone in the Order not to ask questions, for their own safety. The raven-haired Marauder pursed his lips and was silent for a moment. "Fine. You have five minutes. Then I'll come back." He said grudgingly.

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever." Sirius muttered, downing his drink and standing up. He placed the glass on the table in front of them and gave Hermione and Regulus a glance. "Try to behave," He said wryly and turned on the spot.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the place from where Sirius had disapparated before she turned to look at Regulus. "So…You have the location of the, um, object?" Hermione asked carefully, sliding down to sit on the couch.

Regulus nodded. "Yes. I believe it is in the Lestrange vault, in Gringotts. Bella – my cousin spoke about the treasures inside her vault and mentioned that I too would perhaps soon be able to keep safe our master's personal possessions." Regulus said with a monotonic voice.

Hermione's insides jumped. The last Horcrux! And it made sense, that it was kept safe by the Lestranges since Bellatrix and her late husband were Voldemort's most loyal servants. Hermione still remembered the frightful look in Bellatrix's face when she had thought that Hermione, Harry and Ron had been inside her vault, and Hermione had suspected it since then…But why would Bellatrix confide in Regulus? Didn't she despise him for letting Hermione and Sirius go at the raid last winter?

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "Did she say what it was?"

Regulus nodded. "The cup."

"Merlin…" Hermione said quietly. "I had only guessed she had it in her possession, but now that it is confirmed…" Hermione muttered. She had to have a talk with Dumbledore, and he would probably still be at the wedding. But she still had a small amount of time with Regulus before she had to leave.

Hermione studied his features. "Why did she tell you that?" Hermione asked, feeling still a bit suspicious.

"My cousin thinks I have learned from my mistakes," He said, a frown forming between his brows, evidently thinking about the raid in December and what had happened to his parents after he had let Hermione and Sirius go. "And yet, here I am," he continued with a strained look in his eyes.

Hermione gave him a tentative smile.

Regulus suddenly stood up. "I should go…" he mumbled, still in a slight haze from the potion.

"Wait!" Hermione said, stood up as well and took his hand.

His eyes darted to their joined hands, and he took a shaky breath.

"Look at me," Hermione whispered, searching his face.

His eyes travelled slowly up, until they were fixed into her brown ones. She could see a mix of sadness and loneliness in his gaze, which made her heart ache for him. He had endured so much already.

"I'm sorry about your parents…I'm sorry that you had to join him," Hermione said quietly and pulled him closer when she saw his eyes fill with tears. She knew it wasn't enough, what she had said, as it didn't really fix anything. Regulus said nothing, but he let her wrap her arms around him and bury her face against his neck.

She could feel him shuddering slightly. "It's horrible. Being a Death Eater. Being near _him_. You know…I keep dreaming about another life where...A life where I wasn't ordered to kill and torture others," Regulus said heavily.

"Don't go back," Hermione whispered, pulling back a bit to look into his eyes pleadingly.

He blinked rapidly, clearing his throat. "I have to."

Hermione shook her head. "No, you don't. We have what we need. We know the location of the last Horcrux now. We can protect you," Hermione said quickly, a desperate look in her eyes.

"We?" Regulus asked with a scrutinising look.

Hermione shrugged. "Sirius and I. The Order. My friends."

"You and Sirius?" Regulus asked with an unreadable expression. There was a short silence during which Hermione was getting a bit uncomfortable. "Are you with him?" He asked eventually, his posture stiffening.

Hermione spluttered. "No."

Regulus studied her features and gave her an uncertain look. The comforting arms that had been holding her were withdrawn.

Hermione blushed and hung her head. "I-I…was…with him…But it's over now. It was a long time ago…" Hermione said quietly, not able to look at Regulus in the eyes.

Regulus swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. "I see," He said quietly. He was silent for a while, and as Hermione glanced at him, she could see pain flashing across his face before he cleared his throat and closed his feelings behind the walls of his mind.

"You need someone inside to help you defeat _him_ ," He said, changing the subject back to Voldemort. "You need someone who knows his every move. Your only chance is to surprise him, Hermione…He's too powerful. Even for Dumbledore." He said carefully, the potion supposedly wearing off.

Hermione knew he had a point but she still opened her mouth to argue him. She forgot what she wanted to say when Regulus brushed his fingertips against her cheek.

"Just…Please, Hermione. Don't argue with this. I'll be okay, I promise. It'll all be over soon," He murmured, the distant and hurt look in his eyes making her heart break a bit.

Hermione shivered, feeling ashamed of herself as well as wanting to hold on to him and never let go. She didn't want him to go back, back to the Death Eaters, back to Voldemort and Bellatrix, who were probably doing everything they could to poison his mind. On the other hand, she didn't want him there, to look at her like that. She knew he was hurt, and it was the last thing she wanted to make him feel.

Then someone cleared a throat behind them, and Hermione and Regulus both jumped apart to find Sirius leaning casually against a bookshelf and watching the pair with a mix of amusement and interest. His mouth curved into a wry smile. "Oh, don't mind me. I'm merely interested to see where all this is going," he said with amusement.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Regulus. "Promise me you'll come to us if…" She said, worrying her lip. She didn't even know how to end her sentence. If he felt he would be in danger? But she knew he was in danger just for being near Voldemort and his followers.

Regulus's mouth curved up slightly as he stroked the line of her jaw and studied her face, as if he was trying to memorise her. "I will." He breathed and swallowed deeply. "I have to go," he muttered, a small frown between his brows.

Hermione pressed her lips together, willing herself not to cry. Regulus turned away from her and stared at Sirius with a calculative look.

Sirius's eyes widened slightly in understanding. "Surely you're not going back there?" He asked darkly. When Regulus merely looked at him, Sirius gritted his teeth. "Bloody fuck, Reggie…You don't have to go there anymore," Sirius said sharply. "I mean, I get that you felt like you had to, before, when, you know, your parents were there, but now…" He said, his voice trailing off.

Regulus arched a brow at him. "They were your parents as well," he said stiffly.

Sirius scoffed. "Spare me the lecture, Reggie."

Regulus nodded slowly.

"So, this is how it's going to be then? You, playing a martyr. For the greater good?" Sirius asked with an unreadable expression.

Regulus gave his brother a long look and it seemed that he wanted to say something more, but instead he said, "It seems so. At least Iwill have a clear conscience."

And then he disapparated.

"Fuck!" Sirius growled and shoved his hands into his hair, yanking it hard. He then stormed to the nearest table and swept every item on it to the floor, cursing simultaneously.

Hermione only stared at him, hoping he would not see the pity she was feeling towards him. She knew Regulus meant a lot to Sirius, and that the raven-haired Marauder had probably hoped that he would finally have his brother back.

Minutes went by, and they both stood in place, feeling frustration, anger and sadness. Eventually Hermione walked to him and cleared her throat. "We should go back," she muttered and eyed him carefully.

"Yeah." Sirius said gloomily and took her outstretched hand.

Neither one of them felt like celebrating, but they also didn't want to miss out their best friends' wedding.

* * *

"Where were you?!" James hissed as he spotted his best mate and Hermione walking silently towards the cottage back door. Sirius grunted something in response and barged inside, while Hermine sighed and gave James an apologising look.

"We, um, just had something to discuss about. Never mind. The important thing is that we're here now," Hermione said and tried to give James a reassuring smile.

James arched a brow at her. "And the reason for Pads having a giant lemon up in his arse?"

Hermione cringed. "There were some disagreements," she muttered awkwardly.

James rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath before he followed Sirius inside the cottage. Hermione circled the building and found everyone else in the midst of the celebrations in the garden pavilion.

"Hermione!" Lily called with a demanding voice, walking quickly towards her and taking a hold of Hermione's arm. Lily eyed her friend carefully. "Remus told me you and Sirius needed some alone time for a bit," She said, her brows rising with incredulity. "Did you two run off for a snog?" She added suspiciously.

Hermione scoffed. "No, we didn't!" She hissed and glanced around them. The others seemed to be preoccupied with their discussions and dancing, so no one had heard them speaking. "And can we not speak about those kinds of things out here in the open?"

Lily shrugged. "Just making sure…"

"What's going on?" Alice asked as she and Mary appeared on Hermione's other side, eyeing the two girls curiously.

"What were you doing with Sirius?" Mary asked deviously, slurring slightly. Alice and Mary exchanged a knowing smirk before turning to look at Hermione.

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Nothing. We just talked. Trust me, there's _nothing_ going on in there, and there never will be," Hermione said tightly.

"…That's what she said the last time…" Alice whispered loudly, and Mary let out a rather loud snort.

Hermione gave Lily an incredulous look, as if questioning how much had the girls already absorbed, and why hadn't anyone supervised them. Lily merely shrugged and Hermione shook her head at her friends and muttered something about a much-needed drink. She turned away from her sniggering friends, only to walk straight into Gideon.

"Wha –" Gideon mumbled and quickly took a hold of Hermione before she collapsed on the floor.

Hermione gripped his arms for support. "Thanks. And sorry. For not looking ahead," Hermione muttered.

Gideon shrugged. "No problem," He said with a small smile, which soon faltered as he glanced over her shoulder. "Erm…Why are your friends smirking at us?" He asked quietly, confusion taking over his features.

Hermione rolled her eyes and let go of his arms. "They think you fancy me or something like that," She said with a hint of annoyance, while Gideon's eyes widened slightly in panic. "And, well, maybe because you're holding me like that?" She asked and gave his hands, which were wrapped around her waist, a meaningful look.

Gideon cursed under his breath and withdrew his hands. "It's not like I planned this," he muttered and took a step back.

Hermione waved her hand in dismissal. "I actually needed to speak to you," She said gravely.

Gideon lifted his brows slightly in interest. "Oh?"

"It's about our mission," Hermione whispered, glancing around them.

Now he looked intrigued. "Come with me," He said expressionlessly, took her hand and walked towards the dance floor.

* * *

"So…You looked like you enjoyed yourself on the dancefloor tonight, Hermione…" Lily said casually as she moved her stick of marshmallows near the fire.

It was getting late, and most of the guests had already left. Only Lily, James and their closest friends had stayed at the venue. The married couple had wanted to spend the night in the cottage with their friends before leaving off to Paris for the next week. Since the place was heavily warded and they had plenty of food and beverages, everyone was happy to agree. They set up a small fire outside and decided to sit by it and chat for the rest of the night.

Hermione arched a brow at her friend. "Well, yes, so did you?" She asked dryly, not really in the mood for her teasing.

The girls, well, mostly Mary and Alice, were certain that Gideon had something other than purely friendly feelings for their friend, and it wasn't the first time Hermione had heard them bring it up.

Alice cleared her throat. "And you dance partner seemed to enjoy it as well…"

"Oh, my god…" Hermione muttered while the girls eyed each other with sly looks.

"Have I missed something?" James asked, frowning at the others. Lily gave him a sweet smile and handed him a roasted marshmallow.

Sirius let out a dry laugh. "I reckon not, mate. It's just Hermione planning her next secret mission to destroy you-know-who with Prewett…" Sirius muttered and gave Hermione a stubborn look from the opposite of her.

"What?" Remus asked, glancing at Hermione in confusion.

Hermione bristled. "I'm sorry, what?" She asked from Sirius, glaring at him. Alice and Frank shifted uncomfortably next to her, while Mary frowned at her from her other side. Lily, James and Peter too seemed to be surprised by what they had heard.

Sirius shrugged. "What is it this time? Attending a Death Eater wedding? Backpacking in an Inferi-cave?" He asked bitingly and took a swig from a bottle of Firewhiskey.

Hermione's eyes widened in dread, while the others gasped and spluttered. " _Sirius_ …" She said warningly. How in the name of Merlin had he known… _of course._ Sirius had intruded into Regulus's mind, and apparently had managed to pull glimpses from some of his memories.

"Hermione…?" Remus asked and eyed her intently.

Lily let out a frustrated noise. "What does he mean by that? Has that…happened?" She asked with a higher voice, staring at her friend anxiously.

Hermione licked her lips, trying to think of how to reply to her friends, who were mostly looking at her with a mix of shock and worry. That sodding Black was making her life difficult, yet again.

James cleared his throat. "I think what Pads here wanted to say, was that he knows you ought to keep it to yourself, and if you decided to tell us about your…missions, then we're here to listen," He said tightly, and gave his best mate a pointed look. Sirius crossed his arms in a narked manner.

 _James apparently knew exactly what Sirius had seen. Naturally._ Hermione thought and gave him a small nod.

Sirius lifted his brows in disbelief. "You're going into one of those missions again, aren't you? After everything that has been done for your safety?"

Hermione glared at him. "I never said I was going on a mission," she said sharply, even though she already knew she was going when there would be a mission to destroy a Horcrux. "And if I was, that is my risk to take," Hermione said pointedly. Most of her friends eyed her with disappointment and worry, making her feel torn. She didn't want them to worry for her, but at the same time, she had to destroy the Horcruxes. She had to destroy Voldemort.

"Yeah, right. Whatever." Sirius muttered and stood up. "Be back in a bit…" He said and turned to walk towards the cottage.

Hermione growled with annoyance and stood up. "I'm…going to talk to him," She said through gritted teeth and followed the raven-haired Marauder inside, leaving their confused looking friends at the fire.

"Sirius!" Hermione hissed as soon as she entered the cottage. She located him from the sitting room couch, staring at the wall in thought while sipping absently from the bottle of amber liquid.

Hermione came to stand in front of him, the ends of her hair crackling with magic. "What the hell was that, Sirius?! Why would you say that in front of everyone?" She nearly screeched. She crossed her arms in order to stop herself from throttling him.

Sirius turned to look at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. "Why would you keep that in secret?"

Hermione let out a frustrated huff, stomping her foot. It was none of his business. "Surely you know why?" She asked incredulously.

Sirius's eyes hardened. "You were in Malfoy Manor. My brother took you into a _Malfoy_ _wedding_ and you were okay with that? You were okay to be at the very place you were tortured?" He asked darkly.

She was taken aback, her anger faltering. "It wasn't like that. It was…" She muttered, her voice trailing off.

"A mission, right?" Sirius asked and eyed her with discontent.

Hermione let out a weary sigh. "Yes. It was," She said quietly.

Sirius was silent for a long time. "You and my brother…Your worlds revolve around secrets and lies. Why does it have to be so fucking complicated?" He asked sharply, glancing at her with a frustrated look.

Hermione frowned at him, not really knowing how to respond to him.

"Why don't you trust me?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes searching hers.

"I trust you." Hermione said with an apologising look. "But –"

"But not enough to tell me about the objects you are hunting down," Sirius interrupted her with a biting tone.

Hermione gasped. "Y-You know?"

Sirius nodded, eyeing Hermione carefully.

"How?" Hermione asked with a hint of incredulity. She sat down next to him, feeling dizzy. Regulus was an accomplished Occlumens. How in the name of Merlin had he managed to slip that to Sirius?

"You're wondering what I know? And how?" Sirius asked and took a swig from his bottle.

Hermione nodded and eyed him expectantly.

Sirius gave her a long look. "He _showed_ me. I saw everything."

Hermione let out a loud huff and stared at him in disbelief. "W-What? Why? Why would he do that?" Hermione asked incredulously as she tried to figure out Regulus's motives.

"Beats me," Sirius said wearily and rubbed his face. "Maybe the sodding bastard thinks he's not going to survive and wanted me to see what he's on about…" Sirius said quietly.

But what exactly had Sirius seen? He hadn't been inside Regulus's head for that long, after all. What else than Horcruxes? A thought came into her head, and she chewed her lip as she contemplated whether to ask him or not. "Did you…Did you see him as a Death Eater?"

Sirius looked away, swallowing hard. "Don't ask. Trust me, Hermione. You do not want to know what he's done. What he's been through," Sirius said heavily, staring at the opposite wall, his eyes focused somewhere further.

Hermione's stomach clenched with dread. Would Regulus endure the war? Would anyone? And even if they somehow managed to destroy Voldemort, how could they continue living their lives after all that was done?


	45. The Cup

**A/N:** Finally...I'm a bit behind with my posting since I was travelling in the States last week. But well, now I'm back in the game, and here you are, folks! Guess how many chapters are left? I'm currently writing the last one and it's going to be epic (Or not, heh) ;) Can't believe it's ending soon... Keep on reviewing, I'd love to know what do you think of this story.

* * *

 **Chapter 45: The Cup**

 **July 22nd 1979 (Sunday)**

"Good afternoon. I hope you are all well rested," Dumbledore said with a small smile and a knowing look in his eyes as he gestured for the others to sit down on the three squashy armchairs in front of his desk.

It was Sunday, the day after Lily's and James's wedding, and while the happy couple was currently on their honeymoon in Paris and the rest of their friends were still recovering from the previous night, Hermione, Gideon and Fabian were meeting Dumbledore in his office. After Regulus had told Hermione about the Horcrux inside Bellatrix Lestrange's vault, Hermione had informed Gideon and the others. They had agreed to meet the next day in Hogwarts in order to make plans to acquire the cup.

Fabian yawned and rubbed his neck, sending a vaguely bitter look at the others. "Well, at least some of us are," he muttered and glanced at Hermione who was looking fresh and ready to plan their next moves against Voldemort. Gideon too was well-groomed, even if there were small bags under his eyes.

Hermione arched a brow at Fabian, who shrugged. "Dunno where you three were last night, but I was at a wedding," The man replied to her with a sly grin.

"If we would move onto the matter in hand," Gideon said with a hint of exasperation and turned to look at Hermione. "Yesterday you found out that there is a Horcrux in the Lestrange vault, yes?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Helga Hufflepuff's cup," she said sombrely, glancing at the Headmaster, who eyed her with interest, his long fingers crossed on the table.

"Is there a possibility that Bellatrix might have fed false information to Regulus?" Dumbledore asked, looking thoughtful.

Hermione sighed. Of course there was the possibility. "Yes, there is. But…I don't know. It seems that she trusts him. Even after Regulus let us go in the raid before Christmas last year," Hermione said and worried her lip. "But there is a possibility that she has told him the truth. I think we've discussed this before, but when I was at Malfoy Manor, before I came here, she was…scared. When she believed that we'd been inside her vault. So worried, that it made me suspect she had a Horcrux in there," she continued thoughtfully.

"But we can't be sure," Gideon muttered, frowning at the desk in front of him.

Dumbledore hummed. "Yes, indeed we cannot. Either Bellatrix and by extension, Voldemort, is sending us into a trap, or they do not know about what we are doing at all, and therefore don't even expect us to break-in into the Lestrange vault. If the latter is true, then there truly is a Horcrux inside," he said, eyeing the others gravely over his half-moon spectacles.

Fabian let out a dry chuckle. "So, we'll just wing it then?"

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I think we ought to be prepared for every possible outcome, just in case?"

The others nodded in agreement.

"I believe that would be wise." Dumbledore said.

"I'm coming with you," Hermione said quickly before Dumbledore had the chance to say anything else. "I want to participate in this mission." She said with a determined look in her eyes.

Fabian's lips twitched while Dumbledore gave Hermione a long look, contemplating his answer.

"I think we all need to be there, Albus," Gideon said with a serious face. "Even if the Death Eaters would not be there, there are still Goblins we need to handle. And they can be very devious and violent if needed."

Hermione nodded hastily. "I agree. And if the Death Eaters are going to be there, it would be better to have one more person to fight on our side, to increase our chances of getting the Horcrux." She said pragmatically and tried not to think what would happen if they were to be ambushed.

There was a long silence, but eventually Dumbledore spoke with a grim look in his eyes. "So be it."

* * *

 **July 27th 1979 (Friday)**

Hermione, Gideon, Fabian and Dumbledore had been planning their break-in into the Gringotts Wizarding Bank all Sunday and Monday, discussing thoroughly all the possible details and outcomes and making sure everyone knew their role in case they were attacked. Their aim was to get the Horcrux out of Gringotts, somewhere they could destroy it, but if that would be impossible, they agreed to do it on the spot.

It was a dangerous plan, especially after what had happened in the cave in Letterfearn when they had destroyed the locket. Even so, every one of them had prepared for the worst; that they might not necessarily make it.

"Remus! I thought you were still asleep," Hermione said with an uneven tone, startled by the unexpected presence of her friend. She had been preparing herself some early breakfast when Remus walked downstairs. She had agreed to meet Gideon, Fabian and Dumbledore at Gideon's place, near Diagon Alley early in the morning.

Remus shrugged. "I'm a light sleeper. Wondered what you were up to at this hour," he said and studied her features as he walked towards the kitchen.

Hermione forced a reassuring smile on her face, hoping he wouldn't see how nervous she was, and how terrified she felt. "I'm just meeting Dumbledore in a couple of hours. You want some breakfast?" She asked kindly, eyeing him carefully. "Is Mary here?"

Remus shook his head. "No. But Pads is…" He said and yawned, accepting the cup of tea Hermione handed him.

"Oh? Why?" She asked with a hint of confusion. She knew Sirius had been in a mood after the wedding, after meeting his brother and finding out Hermione's plans regarding Voldemort. Sirius hadn't told her, or anyone else for that matter, what he knew, but Hermione reckoned he had found out enough to draw some conclusions.

Remus arched a brow at her and sipped his tea with a knowing look. "What do you think?"

Was Sirius observing her? Was that the reason he was there? Because of what he'd seen in Regulus's mind? Hermione frowned. She knew she ought to say something to her friends. Even though every Horcrux mission had been dangerous, this one felt the most difficult and most dangerous one. For the first time they knew there was a high chance of it being a trap, but they still decided to follow their plan through.

Hermione flicked her wand to set the table. "We need to talk." She said quietly, eyeing Remus hesitantly.

Remus gave her a worried look and nodded. They sat down at the dining table and Hermione took a piece of toast in her hands to fiddle with.

"Um…I'm going on a mission today," She said slowly, buttering her toast and glancing at Remus.

He looked at her carefully. "I gathered. Where? What is it about?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek and tried to decide whether or not to tell him. Hermione knew she could trust her friends, and that they would guard her secrets. She also knew there were ways to extract information, without one's consent. But above all, she needed someone who could come to their aid if they indeed were marching into a trap.

Remus let out a frustrated sigh and put his teacup on the table with more force than necessary. "Hermione…You know you can trust your friends, right? And you know you can't deal with everything alone," He said tightly, dark clouds swirling in his eyes. Hermione supressed a shiver of unease as she held his gaze.

"I know," She said quietly and swallowed. "I'm going to Gringotts."

Remus was slightly taken aback by her words, as if he was expecting for her to shut up about her business. He cleared his throat. "Okay. Why?" He asked carefully.

Hermione bit her lip. "There's something we have to acquire. But, um…There might be Death Eaters guarding the place. We don't know for sure, so there is a risk, but that risk has to be taken." Hermione explained vaguely.

Remus's eyes widened. "Shit…" He muttered, frowning at her. "Why isn't the Order involved?"

"It's too much of a risk," she said with a helpless shrug.

Remus let out a weary sigh. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that…" He muttered and scratched his chin. "Okay. What can I do?" He asked with a determined look.

Hermione gave him a tight smile. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but, um…you could gather our group and be ready to fight," she said solemnly.

Remus nodded. "Of course."

* * *

An hour later Hermione was collecting her things in her room before apparating to Gideon's place, where they were going to go through the plan before leaving towards Gringotts. This was it. The last Horcrux. If they were able to destroy it, they could destroy Voldemort. She could feel it, as if something big was approaching. A major turning point. It felt like everyone was holding their breaths, waiting for the final blow. Time was slowing down, minutes turning to hours, and hours to weeks. It was nerve-wracking. It made her feel anxious.

"Heading off without saying goodbye?" Sirius said with a low voice.

Hermione looked up to see the raven-haired Marauder leaning against her doorframe, eyeing her ministrations closely.

Hermione frowned. "Why you are here? Keeping an eye on me?" She asked dryly, pushing the last of her things into her beaded bag.

Sirius hummed. "Something like that. So…What's the plan? Moony mentioned something about a certain bank, but he must be barking, right?" He asked, a tight smile on his lips.

"Oh. Um…" Hermione muttered and felt her cheeks heat up.

Sirius cursed under his breath. "Hermione, that's just…fucking deranged. You are aware what guards some of the vaults there?" He asked incredulously and walked closer to her.

Hermione nodded grimly. "Dumbledore told us. Dragons."

"Then you're all fucking mental." He said with disbelief.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well, unfortunately, it has to be done."

Sirius sighed. "Fine. I'll come with you," he said and reached out for her arm.

Hermione shook her head. "No, you won't," she said, shaking him off.

"Hermione –"

Hermine lifted his hands. "No, Sirius. We cannot march there with an army if we hope to achieve something without Voldemort knowing immediately. I spoke with Remus and we agreed that you guys will wait for our word."

Sirius pushed his hands through his black locks and growled with frustration. "And what if you get caught? What if you're killed before we'll get there?" He asked intently.

Hermione stared into his stormy grey eyes and took in a deep breath. "We'll just have to hope that everything will go as planned," she said quietly. "I have to go. Please do as I have asked, Sirius. Do not complicate things by defying me," she said wearily.

Sirius clenched his jaw but said nothing. She took a hesitant step towards him and gave him a quick hug before she disapparated.

* * *

Hermione remembered the first time she had stepped into the impressive, three-story building.

She remembered when she had admired its grand marble hall, the beautiful chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling and long rows of tables on either side of the hall where dozens of Goblins worked, surrounded by ledgers, quills and wizarding money on brass scales.

"Calm down," Gideon whispered next to her as they stepped into the main hall. He and Fabian stayed put near the doors while Hermione and Dumbledore walked towards one of the counters at the end of the room.

Hermione swallowed hard. She was calm. They were only there to steal an important historical artefact from one of the bank's most heavily guarded vaults.

Dumbledore walked casually next to her, his dark purple robes swishing quietly. They had agreed that Hermione would accompany Dumbledore into his vault, which was supposedly not that far from the bank's high-security vaults. Hermione, as Dumbledore's niece, had of course access to the vault as well, so they assumed that it wasn't going to be a problem. Gideon and Fabian were going to wait in the main hall, ready to notify the Order and their friends if there was anything suspicious.

"Good morning," Dumbledore said and smiled kindly to the Goblin behind the desk.

The Goblin in question turned its sharp stare to Dumbledore, and then Hermione. "Good morning, Mr. Dumbledore. Miss Dumbledore," it said with a low voice, its eyes lingering at Gideon and Fabian who were standing further down the hall. "Brought a pair of Aurors with you, I see," the Goblin said to Dumbledore, eyeing him with a calculative look.

Dumbledore hummed. "Yes, well, one should always be careful in these times, I'm sure you understand. However, I wish to enter my vault," he said firmly, holding the Goblin's gaze.

After a short silence, the Goblin nodded. "Very well. Follow me," it said and hopped down from the high stool it had been sitting on and made its way to one of the several doors adorning the walls behind the counters.

They followed the Goblin in silence along a narrow passageway that lead to the tracks, where several carts stood waiting. All of them climbed into one of the carts. The Goblin took a seat in the front of the cart, while Hermione and Dumbledore sat in the back. With a sudden lunge, they started moving forward, and soon they were speeding fast along a network of passages, with several tracks connecting and separating every now and then. They were diving deeper into the cave, and Hermione's teeth started to clatter as the cold air swirled around them.

The cart carried them over an underground lake and a large ravine before they finally slowed down, after what seemed like an hour of driving. They quickly stepped out of the cart and walked towards the passage wall, where small golden numbers were engraved next to a door.

"Vault seven hundred and thirteen," the Goblin said and rushed forward. It stroked the door gently with its long fingers and the door melted away. "Only Gringotts Goblins have the authorisation to open certain vaults without severe consequences," the Goblin said darkly as it saw Hermione gape at the door.

The Goblin's expression suddenly changed from dark and calculative to absent and relaxed. It had been Imperiused.

"The Goblin is handled then," Hermione muttered and glanced at Dumbledore, who nodded with displeasure.

"Regrettably," Dumbledore said quietly and gave the Goblin a wordless order to climb back into the cart. Hermione and Dumbledore followed its example, and soon they were making their way further down in the cave. Moments later their speed was slowing down once more before the cart finally came to its stop. They were near another passageway.

Hermione and Dumbledore followed the Imperiused Goblin out of the cart and towards one of the passageways that was lit by flaming torches. Further down the passageway they spotted a large and worn leather bag.

"Everyone take a pair of these," the Goblin said as it picked up the bag.

Hermione eyed the bag curiously. "What are those?"

"Clankers," the Goblin said gleefully as it took a pair of metal tools from the bag and began clanking them as it went forward. Hermione and Dumbledore too grabbed a set of clankers before following the Goblin.

As they turned around the corner, they saw the creature that guarded a handful of the deepest vaults in Gringotts. An enormous dragon stood there, a dragon that had been tied with metal ropes to the ground, its scales pale and chipped because of its captivity. A dragon that turned its glassy eyes towards the intruders and roared threateningly.

"Circe…" Hermione whispered, her insides going cold with terror. She was really facing a dragon. A full-sized, angry looking beast that was likely to scorch them to death in any second.

"Quickly," Dumbledore said hastily and gestured for the others to move along the wall after him, away from the dragon.

Hermione rushed forward just as the beast opened its mouth and spat a jet of fire on the spot where they had been mere seconds ago. "Focus, Hermione!" Hermione murmured under her breath as they shook the clankers and advanced towards one of the vault doors, while the dragon retreated to the opposite corner.

"It will expect pain when it hears the noise," the Goblin said with a small smile before placing its hand against a vault door.

Hermione shuddered. "That's vile," she muttered as she shook the clankers with a displeased look. Her eyes were trained at the dragon, watching its every move. The dragon shuddered, and Hermione's eyes flickered to the numerous cuts and scars across the beast's face. She briefly wondered that if she hadn't been that scared for her life, she probably would have pitied the dragon more than she now did.

"Hermione," Dumbledore said hastily as the door of the vault melted away. They retreated into the vault while the Goblin was ordered to stay outside with the clankers as Hermione and Dumbledore searched for the cup.

The door closed behind them.

"Mother of Merlin…" Hermione muttered as she stared ahead of her. The vault was filled from floor to ceiling with mountains of galleons, golden artefacts, goblets, jewellery, intricate and expensive looking capes and robes, silver and diamond swords and daggers, something that looked like dragon hide, and also several potion bottles with shimmering liquids inside them.

Dumbledore lifted his hands, as if reaching for something, his eyes closed. "I suggest we do not touch anything. The vault is protected with magic," he murmured after a short silence and turned to look at Hermione with a small frown between his brows. "Unfortunately, I cannot lift the charms. We will have to try to spot the cup without moving anything," he concluded.

Hermione nodded, and a moment later they were circling in different corners of the vault where there was space on the floor, trying not to touch anything as they walked through the narrow paths between mountains and piles of fortune.

"Aargh!" Hermione hissed with pain, and with a clatter, a pile of silver trays fell to the ground, duplicating and covering a large portion of the path that lead through the vault. "The items are charmed with Gemino and Flagrante curses!" Hermione yelled as she tried to avoid touching the bouncing trays. "Everything you touch will burn and multiply!"

"Try to stay calm, and do not touch anything," Dumbledore voiced from the other end of the vault, barely in her line of sight.

Hermione sent a glare at the mess she had made. "That's the plan…" she muttered and continued to search through the piles of items with her eyes. Minutes went by, and the cup hadn't made its appearance.

Hermione took a couple of hesitant steps towards one of the paths and eyed the upper shelves on one wall that were almost as high as the ceiling. They were running out of time. Someone was bound to come and check what was taking them so long, and then they would realise there were thieves inside Gringotts. If they didn't know already. Would Gideon and Fabian be able to stall them? Or, well, if Death Eaters were going to arrive; would they be able to fight them?

Something glimmering on the top shelf made her skin prickle. The cup! It was there! In the middle of some ancient looking photo frames that adorned the shelf, she finally saw it. "It's here!" Hermione shrieked with haste, and quickly made her way to the artefact, avoiding a teetering pile of galleons.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said and rushed towards Hermione. He flicked his wand and then he was in the air, as if an invisible hook was lifting him steadily upwards. Dumbledore drew a small pouch from the inside of his robes and shuffled the golden cup with the Hufflepuff's sigil into the pouch. Nothing extravagant happened, to their relief. There had of course been the possibility that the Horcrux would have been shielded with a deathly curse or that it would have fought back somehow.

"Let's go," Dumbledore said sternly after his feet touched the ground, and walked quickly towards the vault door, which dissolved as soon as they stepped in front of it.

The Goblin was still shaking the clankers, and the dragon roared as it saw Hermione and Dumbledore emerge from the vault. "Quickly, Hermione!" Dumbledore shouted as the dragon started to advance them regardless of the clankers. Stream of flames erupted from the beast's mouth and Dumbledore waved his wand, dispersing the flames so that they didn't hit them.

Hermione let out a muted shriek as the dragon took in another breath, preparing to blow another set of flames. Hermione and Dumbledore ran towards the passageway after the Goblin, hoping that the dragon would not be able to follow them. They scrambled inside the cart and it immediately started to accelerate upwards on the rails.

Several moments after, as they reached the top of the cave, Hermione instantly knew something was amiss. Shouting and banging noises erupted from the main hall, becoming louder the closer they got. She ran towards the door that led to the main hall. She could vaguely hear Dumbledore calling for her but she didn't care. She had to go and help Gideon and Fabian.

Hermione slipped through the door, straight into a chaos. Curses and spells were flying in every direction, blasting away the pillars and tables around the hall. The hall was filled with Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers, and only a handful of Order members. Fear gripped her insides as she looked around, trying to see her friends. Hoping to Merlin that they were still alive. She then saw Sirius and Remus facing two Death Eaters each, while Alice, Mary and Peter each duelled against one. Lily and James were absent, and Hermione hoped that the couple was still on their honeymoon, staying away from the fight. Their side would have been outnumbered even with them. She saw Aberforth in one corner, blasting one of the Death Eaters across the hall while Moody fought against three opponents, snarling at them while his wand twirled and slashed in the air.

Everywhere she looked, there were duels taking place. Goblins, wizards and witches were running around the room. People were shouting and screaming, but Hermione couldn't make anything of it, because of the noise from rumbling rock and crashing chairs and tables. Just before she started to head towards Sirius and Remus to help them, the floor started shaking. It was cracking in the middle. Something was coming. And Hermione knew exactly what. She only had the time to take a couple of steps back before the dragon burst out from the passage into the hall. Everyone ran for cover, and Hermione, along with many others, was knocked back as the floor exploded. Her head hit the marble as she landed.

"Hermione!" Gideon shouted from somewhere near her and a moment later he pulled her up.

They retreated behind a crumbling column just as the dragon spread its wings and shot a jet of fire around the hall. Hermione could hear screams of pain and terror from wizards and Goblins, and then the dragon lunged upwards and made its way outside, breaking the ceiling as it went. Hermione could only hope that her friends and the rest of the Order members were unharmed.

"Hermione, do you have it?" Gideon yelled and glanced at the hall from behind the column. A jet of green flashed right after he pulled his face back. He sent back a couple of curses and glanced at Hermione. "Well?"

"Dumbledore has it," Hermione said urgently and aimed a stunning spell to the opposite side of the hall towards a small group of Death Eaters that was duelling Fabian and Emmeline. She could see several Order members and her friends again facing at least twice as many Death Eaters, but she couldn't see Dumbledore anywhere. "Where is he?" Hermione shouted, and retreated back to cover as several spells were aimed to her direction, hitting the stone instead. "What happened?"

Someone blasted a large chunk of their column, making their cover smaller. Gideon cursed and sent out a stunner, hitting its target. "They knew we were coming. They were expecting us. We were in luck that Sirius and Remus had alerted the Order, and that they came only seconds after the Death Eaters attacked," Gideon said tightly and glanced at Hermione. "Let's go. We have to make sure the cup is safe. You can take it and – "

"NO!" Hermione screamed as Gideon was blasted against the wall with the force of magic. He was unconscious and Hermione could see a trail of blood trickling down his temple.

Four wands were aimed at her, and Hermione managed to send a couple of curses before she was knocked out cold.

* * *

It was cold. Her head was throbbing. Her eyelids were heavy, and she struggled to open them. The air around her smelled musty, like the smell of a castle on a rainy day. Hermione blinked and it was dark. Her body was trembling against the cold, hard stone. What had happened? Where was she?

As she regained her sight, she saw her surroundings, and fear crippled her. She was in a dark basement. Hermione stood up quickly, her head spinning, and made her way towards the only door she could see. She knew it even before she tried it – the door was locked. And she didn't have a wand on her. Feeling despair, Hermione let out a small sob and quickly dashed away tears of dread from her cheeks with the backs of her hands. She had to focus. She had to get out.

Hermione took a deep breath and assessed the situation as she paced in front of the door. She was held as a captive, probably in a home of a Death Eater. Voldemort had her now.

"Shit," Hermione cursed, panic rising inside her again. How in the bloody hell was she supposed to escape? Voldemort had her. "No, no, no…" Hermione muttered, her breathing quickening. Was this her end?

Steps echoed from behind the door, and Hermione quickly retreated backwards, but there was nowhere she could hide, nothing she could use as a weapon, because the basement was empty. The door burst open and a bright wand light blinded her momentarily. She tried to brace herself. But it was all for nothing. Nothing could have prepared her to what she saw.

Bellatrix. And Regulus. The former stared at her with such hunger and lunacy that Hermione didn't want to let her out of her sight. The latter only gave her a cold look as Bellatrix started to circle Hermione.

"Look who we have here," Bellatrix said with such a sickly-sweet voice, that it made Hermione's insides crawl.

Bellatrix cackled. Hermione shivered and tried not to turn towards Bellatrix. She didn't want the crazed woman to see how scared she was.

"Miss Dumbledore," Bellatrix hissed threateningly. "Oh, we know _all_ about you, dear," She continued with a whisper. Hermione swallowed. "Trying to lure my kin into your net…" Bellatrix said and tutted at her in mock-disapproval.

Hermione could feel the mad woman right behind her, and she could feel her breath against her neck. "Poor…little… _time-traveller_ ," Bellatrix whispered next to her ear, so that only she could hear her.

Hermione whimpered and stared at Regulus, but he didn't look at her. This was it. This was her end.

"Take her to the Lord," Bellatrix hissed sharply to Regulus and strode towards the door.


	46. The End

**A/N: WARNING: Major character deaths ahead!**

...So, this is the climax of the war, and well, the story. I hope you like it :) Review!

* * *

 **Chapter 46: The End**

 **July 27th 1979 (Friday)**

Hermione walked along a vast, dimly lit hall with dark looking paintings and displeased looking busts adorning its walls. Everything was dark and gloomy; the windows were covered with black heavy curtains and the stone floor was barren. Bellatrix pranced in front of her, her heels clacking against the stone and her occasional cackling echoing from the walls. Hermione didn't feel calm or courageous. She was terrified, in panic. She was scared to death.

Regulus walked behind her, still making no gestures that would have shown that they even knew each other. He didn't touch her, but merely kept his wand aimed at her and urged her to move forward. It was better that way. She knew he had to keep his cover, and she hoped that he would survive, even if she didn't.

After what felt like a half an hour walk, they stopped in front of a pair of heavy wooden doors with silver snake door knobs. The doors, guarded by two Death Eaters, opened, and Bellatrix, Hermione and Regulus walked into what Hermione thought had once been a ball room, based on its size, but it was nothing like a ball room now. There were several people – at least fifty Death Eaters and other Voldemort's followers, forming a large crescent in the centre of the room. In the middle of it was a giant, mahogany throne chair in a pedestal with a man sitting on it, staring calmly ahead, his red eyes glowing in the dark.

Voldemort.

Even though he didn't look like the snake-like man Harry had once described rising from the large cauldron after his resurrection, his features still seemed somehow burned and distorted. His hair was black, his skin white, and he had long fingers curling on the chair's armrests. Hermione suppressed a shiver and walked silently ahead, not daring to look into the man's eyes, not wanting him to see how terrified she was. As they neared the group, Bellatrix took her place next to Voldemort, while Regulus and Hermione stopped in front of them.

"Miss Dumbledore." Voldemort spoke with a cold, serpentine voice. "Welcome."

Hermione stared at the floor, deciding not to answer, not to give in to his taunts.

"You filthy little tramp, answer to the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix shrieked, her eyes blazing with madness.

Voldemort tutted. "Now, now, Bella. Let out guest gather her courage," he said silkily.

Hermione gritted her teeth and stayed silent.

 _"Afraid to look at me?"_ Voldemort spoke inside her head. Hermione knees nearly buckled. It was horrifying.

 _"Not to worry. We'll have some fun first."_

Then Voldemort spoke louder so that everyone could hear him. "I believe introductions are in order. Those of you, who haven't had the pleasure to get acquainted with this young lady, may I present; Miss Hermione Dumbledore, the niece of Albus Dumbledore, and daughter of Aberforth Dumbledore," Voldemort spoke in a serpentine way. Several Death Eaters snarled and cackled as they assessed her under their masks, closing the circle behind her and Regulus.

"Silence." Voldemort hissed and the chattering stopped immediately. "Mr. Black," Voldemort said silkily.

Regulus slid past Hermione and kneeled on the floor in front of Voldemort. "My Lord?"

His voice was steady, without emotion, but Hermione still knew he was scared.

Hermione glanced slightly upwards, and she could see Voldemort smiling.

"See that our guest feels welcome," He said quietly, a threatening hint in his voice.

Hermione knew that it didn't mean anything good, and she took in a shaky breath, trying to stay strong. Trying to stay brave, even though she was practically trembling.

Regulus muttered, "My Lord." He stood up and turned to look at Hermione. For a miniscule moment, she could see despair in his eyes, and she knew he had been ordered to kill her.

There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to do with her life. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave this world. She didn't want to leave him.

Hermione was surprised when a Cruciatus curse left from Regulus's wand and struck her.

Hermione fell to the ground, screaming because of the unexpected pain. It felt like scalding hot water had been thrown on her, like hundred needles were stinging her. But the pain…the pain wasn't anything like she had experienced the last time she had been tortured. When Bellatrix had tortured her. It was…less. She suddenly realised that it didn't hurt that much. She was able to bear it. Hermione's eyes moved to Regulus, and she could see that he was gasping, his eyes filled with tears and his face twisted with agony. The bracelet. He was taking her pain.

"What is she doing to him?!" Bellatrix screeched impatiently from her place.

Voldemort lifted his hand and smiled as the curse was lifted from Hermione.

"Well, well…" Voldemort said slowly. "I should have known…Mr. Black. Take off her bracelet."

Regulus hesitated for a small moment, and Voldemort laughed. Everyone else was silent while a cold, amused laugh echoed in the room. Regulus's wand instantly flew from between his fingers towards Voldemort. Hermione suppressed a shiver of nausea. Voldemort had seen through Regulus.

"You fool. You think you can mislead me, boy?" Voldemort said darkly.

Regulus faced Voldemort but said nothing.

"I _know_ where she comes from. I _know_ about your desires. I _know_ about your betrayal. I. Know. Everything. I have seen everything, inside your head," Voldemort hissed with such malice, that it made Hermione's skin prickle. Voldemort had known about her all along.

"Were you foolish enough to think that you, a mere boy, could deceive a mighty Lord?" He asked tauntingly. Murmurs and amused sounds erupted from the Death Eaters around them.

Regulus stared at Voldemort silently before he answered. "Yes."

Voldemort chuckled. "And why might that be?" He asked, looking raged and amused at the same time. "Why protect a mere half-blood?" He asked, seeming almost curious. Then he smirked venomously. "No. Let me guess. Is is… _love_?" He asked softly, and Bellatrix made a disgusted sound while the other Death Eaters jeered around them.

Hermione saw that many of them were pointing their wands at Regulus and her.

Regulus stared at Voldemort with an unreadable expression. "Yes."

" _Love,_ " Voldemort repeated mockingly. "You of all people should know it is a means to an end," Voldemort said coldly, his red eyes flashing.

"CRUCIO," Voldemort yelled before any of them could make a move, and Regulus fell to the ground, screaming on the top of his lungs, writhing on the floor and scraping the marble with his fingers.

"NO!" Hermione shrieked, trying to go to him, but was held back by two Death Eaters. "No! Please, stop!" Hermione sobbed, feeling agony and nausea as she saw Regulus moaning with pain, scratching his face, where blood, sweat and tears were mixing together.

"You should know that it is a weakness," Voldemort said chillingly after lifting the curse. Regulus panted, trembling on the floor. Voldemort's wand slashed again, "CRUCIO!"

Regulus cried again, eyes rolling in his head, his body juddering and twisting unnaturally, his voice becoming hoarse as he continued screaming.

Seconds turned into minutes and Voldemort merely stared at the trashing man at his feet with a calm, satisfied smirk on his face, his wand trained ahead.

Hermione kept screaming, kept struggling against the Death Eaters who were keeping her in place. "Please!" She cried, tears trickling down her cheeks, her ears ringing with Regulus's screams.

The curse was lifted, after what seemed like ten minutes, and Regulus was left breathing shallowly on the floor, slipping into unconsciousness. What if he was tortured to insanity?

Hermione wept silently, her heart breaking because of Regulus's pain and suffering.

Voldemort turned to look at Hermione.

"Look at me now, or I won't be so merciful to him again," Voldemort said softly.

Hermione shuddered, her lip quivering. She lifted her eyes slowly, and finally looked into his red eyes. Voldemort smiled threateningly. And then she could feel him in her mind, pushing away her Occlumency shields as if they were made from mere paper instead of strongly built walls. He was looking though her memories and her life. She could do nothing but let him. She felt him go through every moment she'd had with Regulus, every Order meeting, every memory of Dumbledore, and then he faltered. He saw the cave. The Room of Requirement. The Gaunt Shack. The Malfoy library.

Suddenly she was flying forward, and Voldemort had stood up from his chair. Hermione stopped abruptly, merely inches away from Voldemort. Seeing the red eyes and his cold features that close made her even more terrified.

"What was that?" He whispered with a chilling voice, lifting his hand and clenching his fist.

Hermione whimpered as an invisible hand closed around her throat, closing her airway. She tried to pry the hand away, and to get the blockage off of her, but there was nothing. It was Voldemort choking her with such anger that it crippled her body while searching her mind.

Images of the Room of Requirement, deserted hills of Dartmoor and a Diadem placed on the top of a stone podium fluttered in forefront of her mind. The images were replaced with the cave in Letterfearn, with a ring, a locket and a diary.

Voldemort then screamed loudly, and every window in the room exploded. His followers were hunching and yelling in surprise as they tried to cover themselves. Hermione collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath as the air was filling her lungs again.

In the midst of the pain and horror, Hermione realised that Voldemort had known about the cup, that was certain. He had known that they had been attempting to steal it, and had used it as a bait. But he hadn't known about the rest. Even though he had searched through Regulus's mind and found out about her, he hadn't seen anything regarding his other Horcruxes. Hermione glanced at Regulus. He was still lying on the ground, barely breathing, his eyes closed. She didn't even want to think of how strong Voldemort's torturing curses were.

"You…" Voldemort hissed and Hermione was lifted from the ground by an invisible force.

 _"You have found my secrets."_ Voldemort's voice echoed inside her head, while the ballroom was quiet. He stared at her with immense rage in his glimmering eyes, and Hermione knew she was as good as dead now. He had found out everything there was to know.

 _"We shall see who will triumph, Miss Granger. I am longing to see your friends…Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, correct?"_ His voice hissed in her head, and Hermione whimpered with dread. Had he figured out a way to travel through time and universe? Perhaps he had seen her Time-turner in her mind and was now planning to acquire one.

"My Lord?" Bellatrix purred affectionately.

Voldemort glanced at her.

"May I now dispose the disgrace of my family?" She asked, staring at Regulus maniacally.

Voldemort's thin lips quirked up a bit.

"NO!" Hermione screamed, kneeling in front of Regulus as soon as the spell that had kept her in the air was lifted.

Voldemort laughed coldly. "Silly girl. You are willing to protect him, even though you don't even know half of the things he's done under my command. How utterly Gryffindor of you," He said simply and smirked when several of his followers sniggered. Hermione clenched her jaw and stared back at the man.

Voldemort turned to Bellatrix. "I'm afraid you will have to wait for your cousin's persecution," he said simply. Bellatrix seemed angered but said nothing and merely narrowed her eyes at Hermione, as if she was to blame.

"Take them to the cellar. I may have use for both of them later," Voldemort said coldly to his men who were holding Hermione again, and then they were dragged away.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder why she was still alive. Unless…unless Voldemort was planning to use her somehow to get to the future. To where she came from. To Harry and Ron. Fear filled her as she thought of the possibility.

* * *

Hermione sat again in the cold basement, her eyes adjusted to the darkness long ago. It had to be at least an hour after the events upstairs. Regulus was next to her, lying motionless on his side on the stone floor, breathing deeply. _At least he was still alive_. Hermione thought miserably. She had tried to revive him, but eventually given up and reckoned he needed to rest for a bit and gather his strength. If there was anything left of him…

In the meantime, Hermione had had the time to think about the events of that day as well as try to plan their escape. Which had turned out rather futile.

She had thought over their mission at Gringotts, and the situation from which she had left when she had been captured. The bank blasted into pieces and Death Eaters swarming everywhere, her friends fighting for their lives. Were they even still alive? Her insides clenched with dread as she thought how Gideon had been thrown across the room. What about Sirius, Remus, Mary and Alice? What about Ab? And Dumbledore? And everyone else?

And Voldemort knew. He knew about the time-traveller, he knew it was her. Was he going to use her somehow to travel into the future? Was that possible, even if he was able to get a Time-turner in his hands? Was she being kept alive so that he could learn about the future in peace? Hermione had noticed that Voldemort hadn't said anything about her past to anyone else, well, other than Bellatrix, so perhaps he was intending to keep the information from his followers.

Voldemort also now knew that Hermione had been hunting and destroying his Horcruxes. Had he truly thought that they hadn't known about the others, and only about the cup? The cup…it had obviously been a trap. He had known…he had fed the information to Regulus, and known that the Order would receive it, as he'd seen Regulus's mind…But why hadn't Voldemort seen it necessary to check his other Horcruxes if he knew that the Order was after one of them? Was Voldemort truly that imperious?

Was she still alive, shoved into a basement because Voldemort had wanted to check them himself? How soon would he confirm that they had all been destroyed? Hermione truly hoped that Dumbledore had left with the cup and had managed to destroy it. But was it possible for Voldemort to make new ones? Hermione doubted that. Even one was pushing magical limits, but six? Or more?

Regulus groaned next to her.

"Reg?" Hermione whispered, shuffling closer to him. "Regulus?" Hermione asked hastily. What if he had lost his mind? He had been tortured for so long. Hermione's lip quivered as she pushed the sweaty and bloody hair away from his face. "Please be okay. Please," Hermione said quietly, her voice wavering as she soothed his back.

"Hermione," He mumbled, his eyes still closed. "I'm sorry." Then he passed out again.

A quiet sob escaped from her lips. Was he going to be okay? She blinked back the tears that threatened to burst out as she thought about their hopeless situation. She had to focus. They had to get out. But there was no other way out than the door. Hermione wished she was able to do wandless magic, like some of the more powerful witches and wizards were able to. She wished she was able to send a message to the Order. Or what was left of it after Gringotts.

In the midst of her pondering, the door suddenly creaked open. Hermione let out a quiet gasp and scrambled to stand up as a man entered into the cellar.

It was Snape.

"Snape," Hermione whispered warily, not really sure if he could be trusted.

Snape eyed Hermione and then his eyes flickered to Regulus. "Wake him up. You have to go now," He said silently, an unreadable look in his eyes.

Hermione stared at him for a second, utterly stunned, and then went into motion, pulling Regulus from the ground, urging him to wake up. He didn't move a muscle.

When Hermione gave Snape a helpless look, the dark haired Slytherin frowned at his unconscious friend and muttered a spell that Hermione did not recognise. Regulus instantly blinked, his body trembling slightly.

"It won't last long. Come on," Snape said tightly.

Hermione nodded and shushed Regulus, who mumbled incoherently. "Regulus, please be quiet, just follow me. You'll feel better soon, okay? I promise," She said, trying hard not to cry as she saw his face.

He looked so lost, so in pain, but eventually he nodded to her.

"I only have one," Snape said in a hurry and thrusted a wand in her hands, and flicked his own over Hermione and Regulus. She instantly felt the disillusionment charm flowing around her. Hermione didn't have the time to examine the wand, but she knew it wasn't her wand. But it had to do.

They followed Snape towards upstairs quickly and quietly. Regulus dragged his feet, leaning heavily against Hermione as they went on, step after step, and Hermione's muscles soon quaked from his weight. She was panting as they reached the ground floor. Snape sent a glare at her direction and then looked around them cautiously. But before they managed to take another step into the vast entrance hall, Voldemort spoke, his cold voice echoing around them.

"Leaving so soon, Severus?" Voldemort said with an icy voice. "And with my guests for that matter?"

Hermione swallowed hard. Voldemort glided towards them from the shadows, with several Death Eaters following him. She moved the wand away from sight, and could see Snape's fingers twitch.

A second passed by, and a curse went flying towards Snape from Voldemort's wand. Snape deflected it and the duel was on.

The handful of Death Eaters, who were in the room, attacked Snape immediately with raging shouts. Snape sent a couple of them flying to the walls with a flick of his wrist, while simultaneously sending a curse after curse towards Voldemort, who laughed with a chilling sound.

Hermione charged forward, facing three Death Eaters at once. She knew she wasn't going to last long, but at least she had the element of surprise since she was still disillusioned.

"You think you can outrun _me_ , Severus?" Voldemort taunted with a silky voice even as they traded curses and deflected them. "Look at your pathetic little friends, Severus…They'll be dead within minutes."

Hermione dodged and swirled, her wand slashing in the air as she fought the three men, their magic crackling in the air. She sent every curse she could think of, deflected curses, rolled to the floor to avoid them, but then a torturing curse hit her straight in the chest.

"AAAAH!" Hermione screamed and trashed, her wand flying from her grip. But the pain lasted only seconds, ending with a green jet of light hitting the Death Eater who had cursed her.

Regulus.

Voldemort snarled and flicked his wrist, ending the disillusionment charm over Hermione and Regulus, but didn't have a chance to interfere more since both Regulus and Snape shot a string of curses towards him.

"You're dead, Black!" One of the Death Eaters yelled, his mouth already forming a curse, which Regulus deflected easily as he started to duel the remaining two men, all the while summoning the wand of the fallen Death Eater. Hermione sprang to her feet and quickly grabbed the wand from the air, sending a curse of her own towards the opponents.

She spared a glance at Snape and Voldemort, who were both still alive, both still in full motion, and if she hadn't been fighting her own fight, their duel would have been something magnificent to see. Something she hadn't never even dared to imagine. Their magic was flowing in the air, sending electricity towards everything and everyone, the waves power coursing around them.

"Hermione, run!" Regulus yelled as they fought, side by side, with jets of green and red flying everywhere.

She wasn't going to leave him. He was still weak, probably losing his strength soon. "Not without you!" Hermione screamed and stunned the other Death Eater.

Before either of them could say anything else, Voldemort's and Snape's spells collided and a large explosion erupted from their wands, blasting a hole into the ceiling. Everyone took cover, trying to avoid the bits of ceiling that was flying everywhere.

Blasts and screaming sounds emanated from outside. Hermione saw Voldemort growling with anger and then he disapparated, the one surviving Death Eater following him.

"Come on!" Hermione screamed to Regulus, who was still gazing at the entrance hall, its floor filled with bits of rock. Then she saw what he was staring at.

It was Snape. He was lying on the floor. A deep wound across his chest, blood pooling under him.

"Shit," Regulus whispered and ran to him. Hermione followed.

Snape gurgled while the two tried every healing spell they could perform, tried to put pressure to the wound, but nothing was working. With his final strength, Snape gripped Regulus's neck and stared into his eyes.

Regulus looked back in silence, and then nodded at his friend. Snape's hand slackened, slowly falling back to the ground, and the sharp look in his black eyes disappeared.

He was gone.

Regulus stood slowly up and gasped for breath, blinking away tears as he watched his fallen friend. He swallowed hard, swayed slightly and turned to Hermione. "Let's go," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Hermione pressed her lips together and after a short hesitation, she followed him. They quickly moved towards the doors that lead outside, where they could hear a battle taking place. Was the Order there? How had they found them? Had Snape tipped them off before coming to rescue Hermione and Regulus from the dungeon? Hermione's heart filled with hope. Perhaps her friends were alive. Perhaps they were there, fighting, refusing to let go.

As Hermione and Regulus stepped outside, Hermione's breath left her lungs when she saw the devastating view. It was the final battle. The vast grounds and the beautiful Scottish wilderness surrounding the castle was filled with Death Eaters, Giants, Trolls, and other dark creatures Hermione didn't even know existed, facing Order members, Aurors and other fighters of the Light. Duels were taking place everywhere she looked, wizards and witches were running away from the dozen Giants who waved their weapons and tried to stomp on people. Jets of light zoomed here and there, and people were screaming and shouting.

It was utterly insane.

And her side was losing. She could see many bodies in the ground, panic rising inside her. "Regulus," Hermione gasped. "Sirius. Remus. My friends," She mumbled. She couldn't see them. What if they were amongst the bodies lying on the ground? Cold spread inside her as she realised the possibility.

"Hermione." Regulus said, his focus faltering. Hermione cursed inwardly, hoping to Merlin he was going to get better. "You need to leave," he said, swallowing hard.

Hermione shook her head. "No. I'm fighting. For them. Until the end," She said with a lump in her throat and glanced at him. She had to fight, there was no other way.

Regulus's gritted his teeth, his eyes focusing again. He didn't say anything, but merely nodded, and together they made their way towards the battle, towards the nearest duel taking place between five Death Eaters and three Aurors.

One of the Aurors fell to the ground just before Hermione and Regulus had come close enough to fight.

"NO!" Hermione screamed and aimed her wand to the Death Eaters. " _Stupefy_!"

There was no time to see if the fallen wizard was alive, since it was five against four, and Regulus was still slower, weaker than he normally was.

One of the Aurors stunned one Death Eater and sent another flying across the air, straight into the walls of the castle with a sickening thud. After that, Hermione, Regulus and the two Aurors managed to stun the rest of their opponents and bind them against the nearest tree after taking their wands away.

Hermione glanced at the fight, and just as she turned back to their group, she saw one of the two Aurors lift his wand towards the unconscious Death Eaters.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked with confusion and moved closer to the Aurors. Regulus eyed the men suspiciously.

The Auror lifted his brows at Hermione. "Making sure they're not coming back to kill us, that is."

"No! You can't do that!" Hermione yelled in shock, grabbing the Auror's hand. Regulus and the other Auror moved next to them, both gripping their wands.

"What if they were Imperiused?" Hermione asked imploringly, stunned by the Auror's behaviour. They were officers of the law, for Merlin's sake!

The Auror's wand hand dropped a notch. "They killed my partner," he said bitterly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and let his arm go. "That doesn't mean they did it willingly. They deserve a trial," Hermione said tersely, and saw the other Auror next to Regulus nod in agreement.

"Come on, mate…they're unarmed. We're needed elsewhere," the Auror, who seemed to be agreeing with Hermione, spoke, a warning tone in his voice.

The Auror closer to Hermione pulled his wand back and heaved a sigh. "I suppose you're right," He said heavily, looking slightly torn.

Hermione gave him a tight smile. The two Aurors left hastily towards the next duel nearby, and Hermione turned to Regulus. "We have to move on."

The battle had spread out to at least a half-mile radius, and Hermione still hadn't seen any of her friends. The only Order members she had spotted were Dorcas Meadowes and Caradoc Dearborn, who were fighting side by side a small distance away.

"Hermione, look out!" Regulus shouted seconds before she was knocked back by several yards.

She thumped on the grass on her back and gasped in surprise as she saw an ugly looking Troll advance on her. _Not again…_ Hermione thought as she quickly rolled to her side to avoid the Troll's club which was smashing into the ground. She could hear Regulus yelling curses at the Troll, but none of them sunk in because of its thick hide.

"Regulus!" Hermione screamed to him, leaping on the other side to avoid the swinging club.

"Hit it with the club!" She shrieked and lunged aside again.

Suddenly the club was lifted in the air, and the Troll blinked stupidly at its hands. Then the club whacked the Troll in the stomach with a brutal force, sending the creature flying in the air and colliding with a Giant further away, knocking the Troll unconscious.

Hermione stared at Regulus in amazement. "That was…Well. Thanks," She said and let out a stunned laugh.

Regulus pulled her up from the ground and pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "You okay?" He asked with a worried look, trying to assess her injuries.

Hermione nodded. "I'm okay. Let's just – "

The rest of her sentence died in her throat as she glanced around them and saw something. It was Sirius and Fabian, fighting a Giant. The spells were bouncing off of its thick hide, and even though they managed to hurt the Giant, it seemed it only made it even angrier. Then the Giant lifted Fabian up, its fingers pressing against the man's body, attempting to squash him. The Giant threw Fabian back to the ground when Sirius shot a severing charm straight into its eyes.

The Giant howled and waved its weapon, aiming at the two wizards.

"NO!" Hermione screamed and lifted her wand, running towards them. She didn't think about the consequences. She couldn't. Her wand circled in an intricate pattern, and right before an enormous fiery eagle soared from the tip of her wand, Hermione screamed, "SIRIUS! TAKE FABIAN AND RUN!"

The Giant saw the Fiendfyre too late. When the cursed flames touched it, the Giant howled in pain. Regulus helped his brother to drag the unconscious Fabian away, and only seconds later the large creature fell to the ground, dead. Hermione put all her willpower to maintaining the curse, attacking the next Giant nearby.

"Mother of Merlin…" Sirius gasped behind her, after seeing what she'd done, before turning and making sure no one was attacking them since Hermione and Fabian were both defenceless.

Hermione started to shake slightly. It was taking so much of her, maintaining the curse. Second Giant crashed to the ground. Hermione could hear whoops and shouting around them, since the rest of the Giants started to retreat. They had seen what had happened to their kind.

Hermione gasped, her strength fading. She knew she had to put out the flames, before they'd become uncontrollable. With a significant amount of strength, Hermione was able to end the curse.

She was left panting, as if she'd run a marathon, feeling delighted and exhausted after her performance.

"That was something. You did good, Hermione," Gideon's voice spoke behind her.

Hermione turned to look at him, feeling drained. "Gideon!" She sobbed, drawing him into a crushing hug. "You're alive!"

Gideon gave her a tight smile and pulled back. "Nothing of the sort now, Hermione. We have a war to win." He said with determination. Hermione could see that he was rather banged up, but so were all of them.

Gideon turned to his brother, who was groaning on the ground where Regulus was helping him, healing everything he was able to.

"Gideon, the cup! Is it destroyed?" Hermione asked urgently, while Gideon nodded to Regulus, who backed away slightly.

"Black."

"Prewett."

Gideon glanced at Hermione and nodded. "Yeah. Dumbledore's somewhere fighting Voldemort," he said and waved his wand over his brother, and frowned as he examined him. "Should be good," he muttered.

Fabian smirked slightly. "Well, that's nothing new…that I should be god. I _am_ divine, after all," Fabian said weakly, blinking as he struggled to sit up with a small wince.

Gideon rolled his eyes. "How do you explain Hermione saving your arse then, oh high and mighty?" He asked and lifted his brother up.

Fabian shrugged. "Never said I was stronger than her," he said simply and turned to Hermione. "Thank you, little Dumbledore. Nice save." He said with a grateful look and hugged her briefly.

Hermione smiled at Fabian while Gideon rolled his eyes.

"If we are done with the niceties, could we perhaps wipe away those fucking sneers from the Death Eaters' faces? Anyone?" Sirius asked, and together they advanced the nearest group of duels taking place.

Just as they had separated, with Gideon and Fabian moving to another direction while Sirius, Hermione and Regulus moved towards another, Sirius screamed, "MOONY!"

Hermione only saw the black-haired Marauder sprint towards a small group. Mary was there, fighting against two Death Eaters. Then Hermione saw Remus on the ground. "No…." Hermione whispered with dread and ran towards them.

Remus was panting on the ground, a deep gash in his arm, dripping with blood. His leg was twisted unnaturally, looking deformed. "Pads…I'm fine. Help Mary…" Remus grunted, pressing the wound with his other hand.

Sirius glanced at Hermione and his brother before he surged forward to duel beside Mary.

"Remus, is everyone okay?" Hermione asked as she quickly healed the wound in Remus's arm and waved her wand over his leg, casting a quick diagnostic charm. His knee was dislocated. Hermione flicked her wand and put it back in place.

Remus growled with pain and then shook his head. "I don't have a clue, honestly. I'm relieved that you guys are okay, though," He said and stood up when Regulus helped him.

"Where is Dumbledore?" Hermione muttered more to herself than anyone else as she eyed around them. There was a large clearing ahead, and on its other side, she could see bursts of magic cracking in the air, puffs of smoke and surges of energy. Dumbledore was duelling Voldemort. And a handful of Death Eaters at the same time.

"There!" Hermione yelled, pointing towards the distance. "Let's go!"

Sirius and Mary joined Hermione, Remus and Regulus, and together they started to run towards Dumbledore.

"Hermione…" Regulus gasped suddenly, his voice wavering, his pace slowing down.

Hermione whirled to look at him and stopped on her tracks. "What is it?" She asked and regarded his exhausted appearance. She could see that Sirius, Remus and Mary too had stopped and were eyeing their surroundings with alarm. Hermione felt cold, even though only moments before it had been a warm summer night. Suddenly everything seemed darker, and she knew what it was.

"No, no, no…" Hermione whispered, fear gripping her heart. Dementors.

It had to be at least a hundred Dementors, gliding towards them from where Dumbledore and Voldemort were duelling.

Hermione felt hopelessness taking over, feeling only despair and sorrow. She could feel the darkness and the desolateness fill her as the creatures came closer. Patronus charm. She had to cast the Patronus charm. Hermione lifted her wand and aimed at the creatures, her hand wavering.

"Expecto…" Hermione whispered, her voice trailing off. She was able to cast the spell, she was sure of it. But she couldn't. The closer the dark creatures came, the more impossible it felt. "I…I can't," Hermione gasped.

She knew the others were in similar situation, she heard them. She could feel them. They all felt despair, misery and pain, while living their worst memories again and again. Regulus cried and fell onto his knees, as did Sirius. And then Mary. Hermione and Remus stood in place, shaking, both aiming their wands at the creatures which were closing in on them, but neither could cast the spell. Neither of them was strong enough.

Just as she thought that their end had come, a powerful light blinded her eyes, so bright that she had to press her eyes shut. The air warmed again, and the depressing thoughts left her. Hermione opened her eyes and saw a majestic silver stag soaring across the clearing, chasing the Dementors, attacking them with its antlers, causing the creatures to disperse.

"Come on, Pads, you can do it," James said with an encouraging grin, pulling his friend up from the ground.

Sirius gave James a grateful smile before he aimed his wand at the nearest bunch of Dementors, already moving to another group of witches and wizards. "Expecto Patronum!" He cried, and a large silver, bearlike dog erupted from his wand and joined the stag, charging towards the creatures.

"Hermione! Moony! Do it!" Sirius yelled. There were still dozens of Dementors gliding across the field.

Hermione turned to Regulus, who had stood up, and took his hand. She looked into his grey eyes and thought of what they could be after the war, when they'd finally be together. When they would finally have each other. She glanced at Sirius, who wouldn't suffer the same fate as he had in her time. He wasn't going to rotten in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. He wasn't going to feel pain for losing his friends for the rest of his life. She looked at Remus, and her heart warmed as she thought how close they had become. How good friends they were. Her eyes flickered to James. To the silver stag. Harry. Even if she wouldn't see him ever again, she would be part of his family. She would be James's and Lily's child's godmother. And she was with her family now. Her friends. Aberforth. Dumbledore. They were all her family.

With love and hope filling her heart, she aimed her wand and whispered, "Expecto Patronum!"

Silver otter burst from her wand and leaped toward the Dementors, followed by an enormous silver wolf, an eagle and another silver dog, identical to the first.

The Dementors were soon scattered and retreated.

But even though they all felt triumphant and invincible, the battle continued. Their side was still badly outnumbered, but fighting like hell. Dumbledore and Voldemort had both vanished from their earlier spot, and Hermione and her friends turned quickly back to where most of the duels were happening.

It seemed that every time Hermione managed to stun or knock out someone, a new opponent came from somewhere. Wands swirled all around them, incantations were screamed and magic burst everywhere. So many bodies lay on the ground.

Where was Dumbledore? And Voldemort?

A familiar cackle reached down to her ears. Bellatrix.

"You filthy little blood-traitor! Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix screamed.

Hermione's insides turned cold. She quickly turned to look at the direction and saw the ghastly woman standing over a petite witch, whose heart-shaped face was still in focus even though the light had left from the woman's eyes.

 _No._

Hermione let out a wretched sob.

 _Alice._

Bellatrix laughed maniacally. Rage and despair clashed inside Hermione, and her magic bristled around her, sending sparks from the ends of her hair. Anger and grief made her run towards the older witch, made her point her wand towards her and cast one of the curses she detested.

She could hear someone yelling her name, but she didn't slow down.

"CRUCIO!" Hermione screamed the moment she was close enough, every fibre of her hoping that Bellatrix would suffer, knowing that she deserved to feel torment after what she'd done.

Bellatrix was caught by guard, shrieking and shouting in anguish as the curse hit her straight in the back. And for a small moment, it helped the pain Hermione was feeling, the grief. Then the curse was lifted, and Voldemort appeared between them.

Hermione swallowed hard, her eyes widening with fear as she brought her wand up and aimed it at him.

Voldemort tutted and twirled his wand between his fingers as he assessed Hermione. "Feisty little _Muggle_ , aren't you…Miss _Granger_?" Voldemort taunted.

Hermione suppressed a shiver of nausea and gritted her teeth, knowing it wasn't wise to take her eyes off of him, but still glancing around quickly to see if Dumbledore was somewhere to help her. If anyone was near to help her.

Voldemort laughed. "Looking for your dear uncle?" Voldemort asked silkily.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. No. What had happened to him? Was Dumbledore dead? He couldn't be! He was the only one who could destroy Voldemort! They were doomed without him! She assumed that Voldemort would be beside himself with joy if Dumbledore had truly died. The thought eased her panic-stricken heart…only slightly. But there still wasn't anyone around to help her. Why had she run away from her friends? Why had she been so reckless, thinking only revenge?

Hermione knew she was as good as dead if she tried to duel one of the most skilled wizards of time. But she had to try. She wouldn't coward in the sight of him. She would be like Harry, who had faced him with his head held high. Because she had to. Someone had to. Hermione's arm shook slightly as she took her stance and made herself ready for a duel.

Voldemort let out a shrill laugh. "You?" He laughed, several Death Eaters gathering behind him. "Your uncle is too scared to fight me, so he sends… _you_?" He said chillingly.

Hermione shivered with unease.

"You think you have a chance in this duel, girl? You think you will survive more than a minute?" Voldemort sneered, starting to move to the side, circling her, forcing her to move as well in order to keep him in her sight and in a distance.

Hermione took a shaky breath before she spoke. "Your Horcruxes are destroyed. Your safeguards are gone," Hermione said, feeling the energy of her magic heating up her wand. "It is only you now."

Voldemort bared his teeth at her. "And you will pay for that, little Mudblood. I will slaughter every member of your _precious_ Order, every single person in your circle, pureblood or not. In the past, in the present. In the future," He hissed maliciously.

Hermione gripped her wand tighter, gritting her teeth. "You can try all you want. But there will _always_ be someone to challenge you," she said sharply, feeling calmer all of a sudden.

They were still moving slowly in a circle, neither of them averting their eyes. Hermione knew there were others gathering around them, moving closer in order to help them.

Voldemort let out an amused chuckle. "And you, a mere Mudblood, will be one of them? To challenge me?" He asked, his red eyes flashing, his expression turning into a cold fury. "Don't make me laugh!"

When Hermione merely glared at him, Voldemort screamed, "I will not be bested by a simple-minded muggle girl!"

A second later a jet of dark purple burst from Voldemort's wand but the curse didn't hit her.

Hermione blinked as a powerful shield charm materialised in front of her. Regulus stepped next to Hermione, his wand trained at Voldemort. Sirius appeared on her other side. Hermione saw many others coming closer, Death Eaters and Order members, to see the climax of the battle.

"My Lord, let me handle the stains of my house," Bellatrix spoke darkly, circling from behind Voldemort and staring at the two Black men with a vicious smirk on her lips as she stood next to her master.

Voldemort's lips quirked. "By all means, Bella."

After a heartbeat, Bellatrix attacked Sirius, hurling curses towards him and laughing with a shrill voice.

At the same time Voldemort struck again, his wand whirling and sending powerful curses at Hermione and Regulus, his magical energy descending over them like an unbearable darkness. The two of them deflected and ducked, moving so fast that Hermione was out of breath after only a minute. The duels around them started again. Where was Dumbledore?

Hermione heard Bellatrix cry with pain, and Voldemort's focus faltered.

"You filthy Blood-traitor! How dare you spill my blood!" Bellatrix screamed.

Sirius laughed sharply. "Let me assure you, Bella. It is my pleasure!"

Bellatrix snarled. "I want you to know that when I'm done with you, I will enjoy torturing your despicable brother in the most excruciating way," Bellatrix taunted as they continued sending curses soaring towards one other.

Voldemort too continued their duel even with more rage now, and Hermione knew she and Regulus wouldn't be able to hold up their end much longer. There was no one to help them, because everyone around her seemed to be struggling to keep their opponents at bay. There were too many of Voldemort's men, and too few of those who fought for the Light. Hermione sent spell after spell towards Voldemort, all the while dodging his curses, but nothing hit home. Voldemort was too powerful. Everything Hermione and Regulus cast, he deflected with ease.

Voldemort's wand never slowed down while he brought his other hand up, his fist closing slowly. Regulus started to choke next to her.

"REG!" Hermione screamed and made her mistake. She turned her eyes from their opponent.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort screamed, hitting Hermione straight over her heart.

Unbearable pain hit her, nothing, _nothing_ compared to what she'd felt when Bellatrix had tortured her, or when Regulus had tortured her. It felt like all the bones in her body were cracking, like she was stabbed several times with a blunt knife and her insides were being carved out, and like she was kept under water, unable to breathe. It felt like every happy memory she had was distorted into a hateful and cruel one. All she saw was pain and suffering, people dying. It made her desperate. It made her hope she would die. Hermione screamed with pain but could not hear anything. The only thing she heard was her blood rushing in her ears, and the sound of her airway closing, the sound of her choking.

The pain lessened suddenly and Hermione was aware of Regulus yelling next to her, sending curses after curses towards Voldemort.

"YOU'RE DEAD!" Regulus cried. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Hermione saw a hint of worry flicker in Voldemort's red eyes as he deflected Regulus's curse, but it was quickly replaced with a knowing gloat as he glanced at Hermione, lying on the ground, still unable to move after suffering his Cruciatus curse.

And then a jet of green light was soaring towards her from the tip of Voldemort's wand, and Hermione knew it was too late. It felt all too familiar. It was like she was watching the whole scene in slow motion. Watching the scene where it had been Bellatrix who had cast the killing curse and ultimately sent her into this time, into this universe. But now it was Voldemort, and Hermione didn't have a time turner on her this time. She didn't have anything.

Hermione closed her eyes right before the light hit her. And waited. But nothing happened. Hermione tore her eyes open as she heard Regulus scream next to her.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Voldemort was on his knees, gasping as blood poured from his neck between his fingers. Dumbledore lay on Hermione's feet, unmoving, his eyes empty.

It took a moment for Hermione to comprehend what had happened. Dumbledore…Dumbledore had taken the killing curse that had been aimed at her. He had sacrificed himself for her.

And Regulus had struck down Voldemort.

"No, no, no," Hermione whispered in panic and crawled towards Dumbledore, not willing to accept the fact that he was gone. Hermione reached his limp body just as Bellatrix shrieked in terror, as did many Death Eaters who disapparated at the sight as soon as they saw their master dying.

"You filthy Blood-traitors!" Bellatrix screeched and sent her own killing curse towards Sirius.

Hermione and Regulus both screamed with dread, aiming their wands at the mad woman. But before they managed to do anything, Sirius had ducked the curse and sent his own jet of green soaring towards his cousin. The witch was instantly dead as the killing curse hit her, still the crazed smirk on her face.

"Take that you fucking insane bitch!" Sirius hissed and then turned his triumphant look at Hermione and Regulus. His face fell when he saw Hermione on the ground, cradling Dumbledore's limp body, weeping silently.

Sirius moved quickly to Hermione and Regulus, who were now both kneeling on the ground over the fallen Headmaster. But there was nothing they could do.

Dumbledore was not with them anymore.

It wasn't long after the remaining Death Eaters were captured by the Aurors and Order members. Soon the grounds around the castle were silent, and only mixed sounds of mourning and cries of joy filled the area.

Hermione and her friends had gathered around two bodies, lying on the ground, their hands intertwined. Alice and Frank. James had been at the battle, but Lily had only arrived, since she was heavily pregnant and under strict orders not to join them until it was safe.

"ALLIE!" Lily screamed in horror and ran towards their group, tears seeping down her cheeks. Mary sobbed loudly against Remus's chest, while Remus, Sirius, James, Peter and Hermione stood there, crying silently as they mourned their lost friends.

James enveloped his wife into a hug and soothed her back as she clung to him, her body shuddering as she wept. None of them said anything. None of them could do anything. Frank's father was kneeling next to his son, his hand trembling as he pressed it lightly on Frank's forehead. Augusta stood rigidly, her jaw tight, but her eyes soft and filled with pain, filled with tears.

Frank and Alice were gone. Neville was never going to exist. Dumbledore had died so that she could live. Many Order members and Aurors had lost their lives in the battle. Many had lost their loved ones. Hermione shook her head and covered her face with her hands, feeling once again a terrible guilt taking over. She knew who was responsible. She knew it wasn't her fault. But she still stewed over the question; had she done the right choices, if it meant that someone else died? If someone else suffered?

She felt someone pull her closer, smoothing her hair. "Hermione. I'm sorry." Gideon whispered, his voice hoarse and thick from crying.

Hermione couldn't say anything. She couldn't do anything. Voldemort was dead, and they were supposed to be relieved, to feel freed. But all she could feel was grief.


	47. The Last words of Albus Dumbledore

**A/N:** Second to last chapter...Eek! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting this story :)

* * *

 **Chapter 47: The last words of Albus Dumbledore**

 **July 28th 1979 (Saturday)**

The sun was starting to rise, giving light to the quiet grounds around the castle, taking away the darkness. Hermione stood silently, staring at the spot where it had happened. Where Voldemort had died. Where Dumbledore had given his life for her. For the greater good.

Aberforth came to stand next to her. Neither of them said anything. There was nothing to be said because it wouldn't have changed anything. It wouldn't bring him back. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she thought of Dumbledore. How he had done everything he could to save them all, and now he was gone. Hermione glanced at Aberforth and saw that he was fighting away tears, his jaw tight. She took his hand but kept her eyes on the ground.

Dumbledore's body, along with many others, had been moved already, and the remaining Death Eaters that had been captured had been carted off to the Ministry for questioning. The lands were eerily empty, but the ground, the trees and the air around them still thrummed with magic. Hermione's friends had gone to Sirius's place, but she had wanted to stay behind for a while. She wasn't ready to be with others. She needed some time to think things through.

After a long silence, Aberforth cleared his throat. "I, uh, have something for you, Mione. If you'll stop by tomorrow?" He asked, eyeing her with a slight worry.

Hermione gave him a curious look. "Oh? I can come right now, if you'd like?"

Ab shook his head. "No, no. You'll stay with your friends tonight, yeah? You need to rest. It can wait for tomorrow."

Hermione nodded slowly and chewed her lip. "Ab?"

Aberforth lifted his brows in question.

"Could I…Could I stay with you for a while? Would that be okay?" She asked hesitantly, cringing inwardly.

She didn't want to be a burden but she had come into the conclusion that she needed some time by herself. And Hogsmeade was rather quiet in this time of year. She also didn't want Ab to be by himself after his brother had died. She wanted to be there for him.

Ab contemplated her request for a moment before he gave her a small smile. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow," he said and put a hand on her shoulder. "Try to rest, Hermione." He said, looking more tired than Hermione had ever seen him.

Hermione gave him a nod and a strained smile, and then he disapparated. She was alone again, with only a handful of Aurors who were searching through the castle and the grounds.

When the sun had fully risen, Hermione let out a weary sigh and left the place, making her way towards Sirius's place where her friends had gathered.

* * *

"Mione!" Mary exclaimed as soon as Hermione had stepped out from the fireplace in the reception room. It was empty, and Hermione reckoned everyone was upstairs in the library, or in the kitchen downstairs. Mary pulled her into a hug, looking tired and anxious.

Hermione hugged her friend back. "Hey," she said weakly. She could see that Mary was devastated. They all were. Alice and Frank were gone.

"I'm going to stay with my parents for a couple of days…" Mary said quietly. Hermione understood the need to be with one's family so she merely nodded at Mary.

"I'll be back in a couple of days, I think…" Mary continued and worried her lip. "The others are downstairs," She said and shifted towards the fireplace.

"Mary…" Hermione muttered, not really sure what she was going to say. Nothing seemed enough.

Mary gave her a jerky nod, her eyes flashing with pain. "I know. You too," she said, pressing her lips together. Then she left through the fireplace.

Hermione took in a calming breath and made her way downstairs to the others. As she entered the large kitchen, she was surprised to see some its occupants. Molly and Arthur were there, with Gideon, Fabian and Emmeline. Remus, James, Sirius, Peter and Regulus sat at the end of a long table. Sirius and James were murmuring to each other under their breaths, while Remus, Peter and Regulus sat quietly, listening to the conversation. Gideon and Arthur were leaning against the door that led to the pantry, away from everyone else, and talking urgently about something.

"Hermione!" Molly cried from behind the stove, where she was in the middle of making breakfast with Emmeline and Fabian, her soft features edged with worry. Everyone turned their eyes to the two witches as Hermione smiled weakly at Molly and went to hug her. It had been too long since they'd last met.

"Molly," Hermione whispered, a small sob escaping from her.

Molly patted her back with a soothing manner. "I'm sorry Hermione…I'm so sorry," she murmured softly. "You were so brave, you all were…It's over now," She said quietly as Hermione blinked away tears.

Molly leaned back a bit and regarded Hermione with a sad smile. "I was so worried for you, you know?"

Hermione nodded and swallowed hard. She felt suffocated, and the lump in her throat didn't seem to go away. Needing something else to think about, she looked at her friend carefully – something seemed different. "How are you?" Hermione asked with a small frown.

A small grin spread to her face. "I'm pregnant. It's a boy," She added quickly with an exasperated look. Hermione felt herself smile, felt herself happy on her friend's behalf, even in the midst of the wretchedness. _Ron_ …

"Arthur made the spell even though we were supposed to wait until the baby was born to learn the sex," Molly grumbled jokingly.

Hermione smiled at her friend, feeling slightly better. It was a good distraction. "Congratulations, Molly," Hermione said and hugged her friend again. "How far along are you?"

"Nine or so weeks," Molly said lightly.

Hermione did the math and felt somewhat relieved as she calculated that the baby was due in around late February or in the beginning of March.

"Hungry, Hermione?" Fabian quipped from behind Molly, cocking his head towards the table which was filled with breakfast assortments. Hermione glanced at the piles of toast, sausages, bacon, eggs, pasties and such, and didn't feel a bit hungry.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm, um…perhaps later, thanks," She said and tried to give him a reassuring smile. Despite the small peak of joy regarding Molly's news, the melancholy and drowsiness hit her again with a full force as she thought why they were all there.

She couldn't eat. She didn't know how to be, how to go back to being normal after the battle, after losing so many people, friends and family. Her eyes flickered to the boys sitting at the end of the table. They all had similar looks of gloom and condolence on their faces. She didn't want anyone to look at her with pity. She didn't want to see their mourning faces. She couldn't handle it.

"Is Lily here?" Hermione asked with a trembling voice, her eyes stopping at James, who was watching her carefully.

James gave her a grim smile. "Yeah, she's resting. I think it was a bit too much for her to see…" He spoke, his voice faltering. James averted his eyes and cleared his throat, a pained look on his face.

Hermione twitched at his words. It was something she would never forget, seeing them like that. Alice and Frank lying on the ground, their hands intertwined, their bodies lifeless. She felt the familiar ache in her heart, and that grip in her throat.

She couldn't breathe. She needed to get out.

"I-I'll be in the library," she croaked and turned on her heels, moving quickly across the room and up the stairs.

Several moments later Hermione heard someone enter the library. She was sitting on the floor in front of the empty fireplace, her knees pulled up tightly up to her chest. She had been staring ahead for quite some time, seeing nothing but blurred surroundings as she wept.

Regulus sat down next to her, and she could almost feel the warmth of his body even though he was at least a foot away. Her mind whirled. She brushed her eyes with the backs of her hands before glancing at him. She felt him so close to her, and yet so far away at the same time. What was going to happen next?

They were finally free now. There wasn't anyone tearing them apart anymore. There wasn't anyone forcing him to the dark side, forcing him to do wrong. But the thought of them together…it all seemed like a lightyear away. And even though they had survived many obstacles, nothing seemed to be clear anymore. There was so much to talk about, so much to forgive, so much to forget.

"I'm moving back home today," Regulus muttered, staring ahead stonily.

Hermione turned to look at him curiously. Where had he stayed after graduation if not home? "Oh?" She asked softly.

Regulus gave a wry smile. "Grimmauld Place was passed on to Sirius after our parents' deaths. Even though they swore to disown him, it turned out they hadn't done that. For some reason, they left my brother as the Head of our House, along with the Black fortune," Regulus said without emotion.

Hermione was surprised to hear the news. Sirius hadn't said anything. "But Sirius – "

"He didn't know," Regulus said simply. "He just found out."

Hermione nodded slowly.

"My brother didn't want anything to do with Grimmauld Place, so he gave it to me. Too many bad memories for him, I suppose…" he said quietly, staring down on the floor.

Hermione hummed. "Or, perhaps he knows it means more to you than it does to him," Hermione said kindly, her eyes moving over his unreadable face.

Regulus's lips twitched and he gave her a long stare, his eyes flickering with sadness. Hermione swallowed hard.

Slowly, his eyes moved over her figure, stopping at the hands that were circling her legs. "Give me your hand," he murmured, eyeing her with an expectant look as he held his palm up.

Hermione blinked and placed her hand in his. Her skin tingled from their touch, sending warmth into her body. Regulus frowned and took something from his pocket, and Hermione lifted her brows with interest before she saw what it was.

The bracelet.

"Where did you find it?" Hermione whispered, trying not to think how it had been ripped from her wrist before she and Regulus had been thrown into the cellar.

Carefully, he put it back onto her wrist. Hermione let out a quiet gasp as she felt the familiar magic of the piece of jewellery.

Regulus gave her an inscrutable look. "From someone who shouldn't have kept it," he said blankly.

Hermione frowned, the images of the battle seeping yet again into her mind. She shook her head to drive away the thoughts and gave Regulus a strained smile.

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly, and felt her cheeks warm as Regulus placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist, right over the bracelet.

He lifted his gaze slowly up to meet hers, his stormy grey eyes so intense, that Hermione felt slightly dizzy. With a small curve on his lips, Regulus tugged her closer, slowly, steadily, and Hermione didn't hold back as she met his hard body eagerly, placing a hand against his chest while he took a hold of her waist.

For a small moment their lips were only brushing against each other, their breath mingling, and then with a frustrated sigh, Regulus pulled her even closer to him, closing the distance between them. As their lips touched more firmly, Hermione felt a wave of excitement course through her body. This was what she had been missing. This was what she'd been longing for. To touch him, to feel him. To be with him.

Regulus kissed her softly, his fingertips smoothing up and down her sides, running across her back. When Hermione parted her lips with a tiny sigh of satisfaction and yarning and slid her hands around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, Regulus groaned and let his tongue delve into her mouth, kissing her with such passion that made her tremble with want.

Heat raged between them and they pulled each other closer with utter desperation, tasting one another with a throbbing need. Hermione's heart raced and she felt out of control. Kissing him was like a drug, and she was starved for more. It had been a long time since she'd been in his arms. Too long.

Regulus moved his lips away from hers, pressing kisses down her jaw, against her throat. His hands roamed over her lower back, pulling up her shirt. His fingers soon touched her skin and moved over to her front, travelling up. As his hands crazed her breasts over her bra, Hermione whimpered and dug her fingers into his shoulders. Regulus gasped against her neck and sucked the skin below her ear.

Warmth and thrill spread inside her, settling deep in her belly. Her hand trailed down his chest, his stomach, slipping under the hem of his shirt, brushing the edge of his trousers. She needed to feel his skin. She needed to touch him. She needed this to forget everything else. Everything bad that had happened.

Regulus grunted and pulled away a bit. "Slow down…" He murmured, panting heavily.

Hermione too was trying to catch her breath. Trying to not feel disappointed.

Regulus leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He brought his hands back to rest over her hips as he spoke, "I don't want to rush this. We have all the time in the world now, love."

The words were something she had longed to hear, but for some reason, they had the opposite effect. Hermione pulled back slightly, not feeling good all of a sudden.

"Stay with me."

"What?" Hermione asked with a slight confusion. What had he meant?

Regulus took her hands in his, brushing her skin with his thumbs. He gave her an unsure look. "I'd like you to stay with me. At Grimmauld Place."

Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh. For how long?" She asked slowly. Hadn't he just said that he wanted to slow down? For some reason, Hermione felt tightness in her throat. She felt that pressure reaching her again.

"As long as you wish." He said quietly, searching her face.

Hermione gaped at him. Was he asking her to move in with him?

"I'm…um…" Hermione tried to answer to him, but she didn't even know what she wanted.

She didn't know what to do now, even though it was supposed to be easy. It was supposed to be clear. She loved him, for Merlin's sake! But they had so much to talk about, so much they'd have to go through first. They'd have to talk about the war, what he'd done. They'd have to talk about Sirius, what she'd done. They had both been hurt, they'd both lost people close to them.

There was Voldemort, hissing inside her head, telling her how she had no idea what horrible deeds Regulus had done. There were Alice and Frank, lying next to each other, unmoving. There was Dumbledore, crumpled on her feet. So many things to discuss, so many skeletons in the cupboard. Hermione's breathing quickened and it had nothing to do with Regulus, and everything to do with what had happened during the battle, during the whole war.

Sadness filled her heart as she stared into his grey eyes and spoke, "I'm sorry, Reg. I can't."

Regulus gave her a long stare, searching something from her eyes. "Why? Is it because of my brother? You have feelings for him?" He asked mutedly and dropped her hands, eyeing her closely.

Hermione's eyes widened. "No! Of course not! Regulus, you are the one I want," she said and took his hand, squeezing lightly. "You are the one I love," she said softly, a single tear running down her cheek.

Regulus let out a soft huff and brushed the tear away. "Then why?" He asked quietly, looking upset. "Why did you do it?" He asked mutedly, a deep frown forming into his face. "Why were you with him?"

Hermione gave him a pleading look. "I don't know why…I can't tell you a reason, because there wasn't any. I don't have feelings for him. At least not anything what I feel for you," she said quietly.

Regulus cleared his throat and stood up abruptly. "Then what is it, Hermione?" He asked with a hint of demand in his voice as he stared at her. "What? Is it because of what I did? What I am?"

Hermione stood up slowly, eyeing him hesitantly. "You're not a Death Eater," She said quietly.

Regulus's lips twisted slightly. "Yes, I am. Or I was. And you're afraid to learn what I've done," He concluded, giving her a hard look.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. Of course she was afraid. But she knew it hadn't been him. It had been Voldemort, and Regulus had been forced to do his bidding. She sighed. "Yes, perhaps…but that's not the point," she muttered. She wanted nothing more than to tell him how there wouldn't be any more obstacles between them. How they could finally be together. But she couldn't. Not now. Not yet. "I need to be by myself for a while. I can't be here. I can't look at everyone and see only pain and sorrow. I can't…" Hermione said, her voice trailing off.

"You can't be with me," He said quietly, looking away from her.

Hermione let out a shaky breath. "I-I…" she muttered, her heart breaking a bit when she saw his hurt look. "I need time," Hermione whispered.

Regulus looked at her, a flash of resentment in his eyes.

Hermione reckoned she knew what he was thinking. That she was backing away now, when they finally had a chance to be together. How she was running away after all they'd been through, after all he had endured, for them. "Say it." She whispered with a sad smile.

Regulus frowned and was silent for a moment. "I don't understand why you are doing this. I think you are making a big mistake," he said wearily, running a hand through his hair. "You think it will solve something, but in the end, you have to face the world," he said simply.

Hermione pressed her lips together, blinking away tears. "I'm sorry, Reg," she said, feeling a pang of regret.

Regulus swallowed hard and nodded. "Then I have nothing more to say to you." He said quietly and after a final, long look into her eyes, he turned away and walked to the door.

A quiet sob escaped from her as soon as the door closed after him. Tears prickled in her eyes, and even though she was quite certain that she had done the right choice, that she needed to get away from everyone and needed time, it still hurt. She still felt utterly miserable.

* * *

 **July 29th 1979 (Sunday)**

"Ab!" Hermione called from the sitting room after flooing into Hog's Head.

"In here!" Ab shouted from upstairs. A loud crash echoed from there, and a second later Ab was swearing loudly.

Hermione's lips twitched with amusement. She brushed soot off of her clothes before making her way to see what he was on about.

Hermione had gone to her home shortly after talking with Regulus in the library the previous day. Remus had stayed with the boys, but Lily had popped over in the afternoon and spent the evening with Hermione. At first, they had just sat in Hermione's bed, quietly, the air around them dark and depressing as they mourned their losses. Later in the evening Lily had asked Hermione to go through the past days' events with her, as the redhead hadn't been there for any of it. With a heavy heart, Hermione had told her everything. When Remus had come home and before Lily had left to Godric's Hollow that night, Hermione had told them that she would be staying with Aberforth for some time. Even though they hadn't seemed to agree with Hermione's decision to go, Lily and Remus hadn't tried to make her change her mind.

"What happened in here?" Hermione wondered as she stepped in the landing on the third floor of Hog's Head and eyed her old room from the doorway. The room was filled with boxes and bundles of parchment, scrolls, small devices and stacks of robes. Then she understood. They were Dumbledore's possessions.

Ab gave her a strained look and did not answer to her question. Instead he walked to her and pulled her into quick hug. "Good to have you here, lassie."

Hermione smiled back at him after pulling away and eyed the room. "What can I do?" She asked kindly, even though the thought of going through Dumbledore's things felt like it was too soon.

Ab shook his head. "Nothing, I'll have this sorted out in a tick. This was left for you," He said hesitantly and handed her a letter that was sealed with red wax, bearing the mark of Hogwarts's crest.

Hermione gaped at the letter. "Is it…from Dumbledore?" She asked slowly, a cold shiver running down her spine.

Ab nodded. "Yeah. My brother left it to me a couple of weeks ago." He said and looked pained for a moment. Hermione gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself together, like Ab was.

"I'll, uh, be at the pub," he muttered quietly, staring out from the window. "Come find me when you're ready, yeah?" He said and gave Hermione an unreadable look.

She was beginning to feel a bit worried. "Okay, sure." Hermione said as Ab made his way towards downstairs.

Hermione sighed and sat down on a large box on the floor. With trembling hands, she opened the letter and began to read it.

 _Saturday, July 14th 1979_

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _Let me start with apologising. I'm certain that reading this letter might come as a shock to you, since I have instructed my brother, Aberforth, to give this to you in case of my demise. In case I am not to survive this war, I want you to know something important. Something crucial._

 _Never would I have imagined that in some point of my life a young girl, a warrior would stumble into a wrong time and try to save us all from the evil. I want you to know how proud of you I am. How taken aback I still am by your abilities, by your strength. And by your will to carry on, even though the world has shown its worst to you at times._

 _Yes, people have suffered. You have suffered. You have felt quilt, loss, and have carried the world on your shoulders. But you ought to remember, Hermione, that you are not alone in this world. People are responsible for their actions, and of the consequences of their actions. That is not your doing. You have done so much, Hermione. So much good. And in your darkest moments, I want you to remember the good you have done. The light you have given to so many people._

 _Do not pity the dead, Hermione. I do not know if it is fate, or chance that determines our time in this world, but I know that when my time comes, I will go in peace. I will go by knowing that I have fulfilled my purpose for the greater good. And that is something I wish to thank you for. For giving me faith and showing me the right path when I have faltered._

 _I want you to live your life and not dwell in guilt and what if's. I want you to feel sorrow, really feel it. And I want you to feel happiness, because you have deserved it, my dear niece. You have deserved it all._

 _Perhaps we will meet again some day, when fate and chance decide so._

 _Yours faithfully,_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

* * *

 **August 18th 1979 (Saturday)**

Dumbledore's funeral was held three weeks after the day of their victory. Snape, Alice and Frank, along with many others had been buried during the previous weeks. It seemed that their days were now spent by attending funerals, saying goodbye to their friends and loved ones and reminiscing the life before the battle, before Voldemort. But not living their lives in a world where the genocidal madman did not exist. Or so Hermione thought.

The wizarding world was slowly trying to go back to normal. But it took time, it took money, and the help of everyone.

As the Death Eaters who were captured after the battle had been carted off to Azkaban, which was now guarded by Aurors after the Dementors had been banished to Merlin knew where, the rest of the Death Eaters, the ones who had managed to escape before the battle had ended were now being tracked down by the Aurors. Needless to say, Sirius and James were working long days and nights. Lily and Mary, who worked at St Mungo's, had their fair share of long shifts as well, since there had been many casualties during the final battle and every pair of hands were necessary.

Remus and Peter had decided to temporarily join the Auror forces, in order to catch the villains and help the wizarding world back to its feet faster. Hermione too had been asked to join them, but she had outright refused. She had had enough of war, enough of battles and duels for a lifetime. Or several lifetimes. She needed some time alone. She needed to forget. And she needed to heal. She needed to let go of the guilt and the feeling of being responsible for others' fates.

After reading Dumbledore's letter, Hermione had been quite moved by his words, and was swept into the familiar feelings of sadness and grief, until she had read the letter again, and again. Until she had understood his words. Dumbledore's last wish was for her to let go of her guilt, the what if's, the feelings of being responsible for everything that happened in this world. He had wanted for her to go on with her life, to feel happiness. And she had decided to honour his last words to her.

Hermione had decided to leave everything behind for a while, to be by herself for once, to sort out the emotional turmoil that had been taking over her. She wanted to let go of the past, the guilt and confusion, and she reckoned that the only way was to take distance to everything and everyone. When she had informed Aberforth about her plans a couple of days after the letter, the man had merely given her a wistful smile and a nod. Her friends on the other hand hadn't quite been as understanding as Ab had been.

"I just don't get it, Mione…" Lily muttered as they wandered around the castle grounds after Dumbledore's funeral. Most of the people attending the Headmaster's funeral had retreated either inside or left to their homes. "Why do you have to go?" Lily asked and stopped in her tracks, eyeing her friend intently, asking the same question she had asked several times already.

Hermione sighed. "You know why, Lily," Hermione said slowly.

Lily frowned. "And you still don't know how long will you be gone?" She asked with a slight worry in her eyes.

Hermione shook her head.

Lily huffed. "You know I'll hunt you down if you don't show up when this baby is due?" She asked threateningly.

Hermione smiled. "And I already promised that I'll be there. Don't worry, Lils. You know I need this. You know that this is best for me," She said softly.

Lily nodded reluctantly and eyed her friend for a moment. "Have you talked with…Regulus?" She asked quietly.

Hermione's insides clenched. "No." She merely said and turned her attention to the Great Lake that loomed further ahead.

She hadn't discussed with Regulus after they had gathered at Sirius's place. They'd met a couple of times in some of the funerals, but neither of them had said anything to the other. Regulus had moved back to Grimmauld Place and according to Remus, he stayed there for most of the time, making Sirius anxious of his wellbeing.

Lily sighed. "Based on what I know, and what I have witnessed…You should talk to him. You shouldn't drop everything between you two so easily…"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "I'm not. I just…I can't be with him right now. I need to figure things out first, and when I'm done – if I'm ever done – I hope he will still want to give us a chance. If not, then, I guess that is the risk that I'm now taking," Hermione said, feeling her heart press with pain as she thought of either option – of leaving him, and him not wanting to be with her.

Lily worried her lip. "Just promise me that you'll keep in touch. Floo me, owl me, anything!" Lily said with a wavery voice.

Hermione felt tears prickling in the backs of her eyes as she nodded silently and pulled her friend into a tight embrace. She had said her goodbyes to the others already, and she knew she had to leave now, before she would change her mind.

As they broke off, Hermione took in the last glimpse of bright green eyes and their sad expression before she whispered, "Until we meet again."

Then she disapparated.


	48. The Beginning of their lives

**A/N: Started writing this story a year ago, and here we are. The End. So much has happened in my life during that time, even though sometimes it feels like no time has passed. Thank you for sticking with me, reading my story, reviewing, and cheering me on! :)**

 **Happy reading everyone! ...Oh, and it's gonna be a loooong one!**

* * *

 **Chapter 48: The Beginning of their lives**

 **October 31st 1979 (Wednesday)**

Over two months. It was over two months ago, when she had left, without saying goodbye to him. Not that he had wanted to say goodbye to her. If it had been up to him, she would have been there, with him.

"REGGIE!"

Regulus gritted his teeth as his mother's portrait started to screech upstairs. He was in the middle of his morning tea, and not really in the mood to entertain guests. But Sirius was there. _Unexpected, as always,_ Regulus thought grimly.

"Oh, SHUT UP, you rotten bint!" Sirius yelled and noisily traipsed down the stairs, and barged into the kitchen with a wide grin on his face.

"Good morning, brother!"

Regulus lifted his brows a bit. "At least it _was_ a good morning…To what do I owe the honour of your unforeseen presence?" He drawled, as the image of a girl with dark brown eyes that stared at him with apology faded into a vague memory.

Sirius chuckled. "Good to see you too, grumpy."

Regulus rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, watching his brother expectantly. "Well?" He asked and wondered what his brother was up to now.

During the past months, Sirius had come by every now and then, probably to make sure that Regulus was still alive since his floo was closed for most of the time, he ignored the occasional owls his brother sent him, and, well, he didn't leave the house much.

Sirius laughed and waved his wand over the stove before he sat down opposite to his brother. "Do I have to have a purpose for my visits?"

"Yes. And by all means, make yourself at home," Regulus said with an arched brow, watching Sirius as he was in the middle of preparing himself a cup of tea.

"Oh, don't worry, Reggie. I will," Sirius smirked. "By the way, I thought you said you'd toss out the portrait of our lovely mother?" he asked and lifted his brows knowingly. "Had a change of heart?"

Regulus shook his head with exasperation. "I haven't yet discovered how exactly she has managed to attach her portrait onto the wall. And I was never going to – as you put it – toss it out. I was going to relocate it." He said primly. "Don't you have work to go to?" Regulus continued. He knew that Sirius had been working long days at the Auror office after the war, and by the looks of his attire, Regulus assumed he was on his way there.

Sirius merely nodded and took a sip of his tea. "Yeah. Just decided to stop by to see my little brother first," he said and winked at Regulus. "You got anything to eat? Where's the nasty little elf?" Sirius asked airily and eyed around the kitchen.

Regulus bristled inwardly and narrowed his eyes at his brother. " _Kreacher_ is taking care of some errands. And no, I do not have anything for you," He said with a hint of frustration in his voice. "Care to enlighten me why you are here?" Regulus asked his brother, eyeing him warily.

It wasn't that Regulus didn't want to see him. He was glad that he was slowly getting closer with his brother, becoming what they once had been. He just had had a hard time of letting go of everything that had happened during the past two years. He envied his brother, who seemed to continue his life like the war had never happened. Regulus sometimes wondered if it was because Sirius had been on the right side of the war. Sirius hadn't been forced to do even half of the horrible things Regulus had, things that were still haunting his dreams. Things that would probably always haunt him. Of course he was relieved and glad that the war was over, but the memories and the events still remained.

And then there was Hermione. She had been something. A dream he hadn't even dared to think about during the past year. And for a good reason. Because now she was gone, and there he was, thinking of her the first thing every morning he woke up and the last thing every night before he fell asleep. Deep down, he understood why she had to leave, but it still didn't feel right to him. It wasn't supposed to be like that. Even if she hadn't been the sole purpose of him being a spy for both sides, in the end, it was all for her. All he had gone through in the war, every soul wrenching deed he had done, all of that he had endured for her. For them.

"Cheer up, Reggie. It's Halloween! You remember Halloween, eh?" Sirius asked gleefully as he stood up and went to go through Regulus's kitchen cabinets in search for something to eat.

Regulus huffed. "If you are referring to the time we stole a pair of father's cloaks and went scaring the neighbourhood inhabitants, then yes, I do remember." He said dryly.

Sirius laughed. Before they had gone to Hogwarts, Sirius had assured his little brother that it was a common thing to do in Halloween, to disguise oneself in a costume and play pranks on the others. Later on, Regulus had sometimes wondered where on earth Sirius had got all of his information since their family certainly did not follow those kinds of traditions.

"Hah, I remember that!" Sirius chuckled, looking wistful as he returned to the table with a huge sandwich. "But no, this time we're just going to a pub."

Regulus stared at his brother. "And you decided to come all the way down here to inform me about your plans for the night?"

Sirius arched a brow. "Aren't you full of wit today, brother?" He said wryly. "I'm here to inform you where to be tonight," he said simply.

Regulus gave his brother a faint smirk. "Thank you for your consideration but I'm quite content with staying here." Even though he knew the war had ended, that most of the Death Eaters had been caught and trialled, and that his crimes under the Dark Lord's command had been pardoned, the thought of going out for a night still seemed…unnatural.

"Knew you'd say that," Sirius muttered as he chewed his sandwich. He washed it down with a large gulp of tea and eyed his brother with a contemplative look before he spoke. "Reggie…It's time for you to leave this place for a moment…and be around other people," he said carefully.

Regulus frowned, feeling annoyed with his brother. "I'm fine by myself, thanks brother," he said stiffly.

Sirius didn't understand what it was like. He didn't know that it was easier to stay at Grimmauld Place, where he wouldn't be reminded of what he'd done, and what he didn't have.

Sirius sighed. "No. You're not," he said grimly. "You're alone every day, only accompanied by your thoughts. And, well, by an Elf that's definitely not right in the head..." Sirius said, muttering the last part. "And that's not healthy, Reggie. I mean…I know you've had a hard time, but you ought to let it go. You ought to move on," he said intently, searching Regulus's eyes.

Regulus gave his brother a blank look. "Don't go there," he said warningly. He tried not to dwell in the past during the days, because he certainly was reminded of it at nights.

Sirius scoffed. "Do you even want to move on? To forget all the shit you've been through? Do you think this is what _she'll_ want to come back to?" He said pointedly.

Regulus gritted his teeth. "I said don't fucking go there," he said sharply. His brother always knew how to break through his walls, how to get a rise out of him. It was infuriating.

"Or what?" Sirius asked tauntingly. "You'll deck me?" He said and smirked. "At least I'd get a reaction out of you," He said simply while Regulus glared at him.

"You have no fucking idea about anything," Regulus said coldly, feeling angry and resentful at him, at everything.

Sirius huffed with annoyance. "Oh? Well, enlighten me, dear brother?"

Regulus took a calming breath and moved his focus on the table, opting to stay silent.

"So, you've done some shite, who hasn't," Sirius said darkly.

Regulus gave him an incredulous look. "Done some shite?" He repeated slowly, anger seeping into his voice. "I've killed people, Sirius. I've tortured people." He said chillingly. _I've tortured her_ , he wanted to add, but he couldn't. How did one come back from that? From everything he'd done? How did he go on with his life after killing and torturing innocent people?

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, and you're not the only one," he said quietly, staring at Regulus gravely. "All of us have done things we wish to take back. We've all fought the same war, Reg."

Regulus cursed under his breath. "But not on the same side! Merlin, Sirius! You can't be that moronic and think that it is the same thing!" He yelled, his empty teacup shattering as his magic crackled between them. His breathing was quickened, and he was beginning to feel nauseated. "I've done things of which most of the Death Eaters have received a life sentence in Azkaban."

Sirius gave his brother an exasperated look. "You can't change all that. Learn to fucking live with it," he said sharply. "Move on with your life. Don't shut everyone out. Don't shut me out." Sirius said beseechingly, his voice softening slightly.

Regulus swallowed hard. "I don't know if I have anything left. You're the only one I've got. And even that's a stretch," he muttered, grimacing at his honesty as he looked away.

Sirius eyed him with a deep frown between his brows. "Look, Reggie. I'm not going anywhere. And even though I haven't been in touch with Hermione, I'm rather sure she'll come back eventually. But you need to start planning your life, and figure out what it is that you want to do with it…" Sirius said earnestly.

If the situation hadn't been so heavy weighted, Regulus would have been taken aback by Sirius's insightfulness, and by his astuteness.

"Just," Sirius started and let out a weary sigh. "Just come spend the evening with me and the guys, yeah?"

Regulus didn't answer and didn't move his gaze up.

"I promise I'll protect you," Sirius said lightly, a small grin tugging his lips.

Regulus rolled his eyes at his brother. "Bugger off," he said half-heartedly, not able to supress a smile.

"So…you'll come?" Sirius pressed on. Regulus stared at his determined face and could feel his resolve fading.

"Fine." He grunted and scowled as Sirius sent a triumphant smirk at him.

* * *

"James?" Lily yelled, eyeing towards downstairs over the railing, trying to listen if her husband was still home. "James Potter!"

A scrambling sound. "Yeah?" A muffled voice spoke. Footsteps came closer, and soon a sleepy face with a mop of messy black hair was in her line of vision. James was craning his neck and squinting up at her. "Whaizzit, love?"

"Ugh! For Merlin's sake, James! It's eight in the morning, and you should be getting ready for work! Did you fell asleep on the sofa, _again_?" Lily asked with a mix of exasperation and fondness as she walked down the stairs. She would never admit it to him, but his ruffled, messy hair was actually quite…adorable.

James flashed a grin at his wife as she descended the stairs and came to stand in front of him. "Apparently," he muttered and pulled her closer to him, kissing her lips softly. "And how did the pair of you sleep?" He murmured as his lips trailed down onto her neck, mouthing her soapy-scented skin. She was already on her way to work, dressed in her Healer trainee's robes that were rather strained in the middle.

"Um," Lily mumbled as his ministrations on her neck sent warm sensations coursing through her body, while his hands caressed her back, her waist, and finally her stomach.

"Hmm? How is the girl of my dreams?" He asked, pulling back slightly to give her a smouldering look.

 _Oh, he is good,_ Lily thought as a part of her wanted to swoon at him. She shook her head with amusement. "I'm good," she said instead and gave him a sweet smile.

"And how's my little Hardwin?" James asked, his eyes fixed down where his fingers drew circles on her swollen belly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "We're _not_ going to name him Hardwin, James," Lily said pointedly. They still hadn't decided the baby's name. James kept insisting that he wanted to name the baby after one of his ancestors, while Lily hadn't yet felt comfortable with anything he had suggested.

James chuckled. "We'll see." He said with a lift of his brows and dodged away as Lily's eyes narrowed warningly. "I have to get ready for work, love!" He said and quickly sprinted upstairs to the bathroom.

Lily huffed with a mix of annoyance and amusement before walking towards the fireplace in order to floo to work. She didn't feel safe apparating anymore, as it hadn't really been studied how the apparition affected a foetus.

"Hey, babes? James called from upstairs.

Lily turned to look at the staircase with a smile flickering on her lips. "Yes?"

"I'll be out with the guys tonight, remember?"

Lily sighed, her smile faltering. "Yes, I remember James," She grumbled. Even though she was okay with James hanging out with his friends, she couldn't help the small pang of jealousy she felt every time the boys were gathered to see each other. She missed her friends. She missed Allie. She missed Hermione. Sure, she had Mary, but Mary had been rather busy lately. So basically, she missed Mary too.

After the final battle, Mary had announced that she didn't want to work as a Healer anymore. They had had a hard time at Mungo's after the war had ended, and while all the things they'd seen and been through had only intensified Lily's aspiration to work as a fully trained Healer, Mary had felt quite the opposite. So, Mary had returned to the Ministry, to her secretarial work at the Administrative Registration Department. She had then applied to lead the Spell Detection Office at the Improper Use of Magic Office, which was part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Due to her background with the Order and her high scores in Charms and History of Magic at Hogwarts, she had gotten the job only a month later. She supervised a small team and their work was mainly to examine evidence that was sent from the Auror Office. It required a lot of researching, so she spent most evenings with her nose stuck in a book.

"Have a great day. I love you, Lils." James called.

Lily's heart warmed. "Love you too, James," She said softly and left to work, deciding to owl Mary to see if she'd pop in later that night.

* * *

James was in the middle of a strong cup of tea as Sirius barged into their shared cubicle. He had dozed off on the couch downstairs the previous night after going through a stack of photographs from his childhood. Earlier that night at dinner James, Lily and Sirius had been speculating on what James's and Lily's son would look like, and later on that night, when Sirius had left to go home, and when Lily had headed to bed, James had dug up his family albums. He hadn't touched them after his parents had passed away, so it turned out to be a rather sentimental night.

He still remembered his first thoughts after Lily had told him that she was pregnant. After realising he was going to be a father, after his heart had filled with love and joy, all he had wanted to do was to tell his father the wonderful news. But he couldn't. Because his parents were gone. James rarely let himself wallow in the thoughts of loss and what if's, because he knew it wouldn't do any good. And he knew his parents wanted him to be happy.

Pushing away the thoughts of last night, James cleared his throat and eyed his friend carefully. "Alright, mate?" James muttered as Sirius slumped into his chair and began rifling through a case file, that had been left on their table, with more force than necessary.

Sirius grunted something under his breath, his eyes still on the parchment.

James sighed inwardly. He knew Sirius had seen his brother in the morning, and based on his mood, the visit hadn't panned out as Sirius had expected. "I take it didn't go well?" James said and took a sip of his tea.

Sirius glanced at his friend and shrugged. "He'll be there."

"Oh." James said with a hint of surprise in his tone. Was there something else making his friend that gutted? "How is he?" James asked casually.

Sirius clenched his jaw and dropped the file on the table. "Not okay, I reckon." He muttered, rubbing his neck.

James frowned. They'd chatted about Sirius's brother several times during the past two months. It seemed that the younger Black had opted to stay in the confines of his home rather than do anything else. Sirius was worried about him, and had tried to give him space. But now, as it was apparent that giving Regulus space hadn't really helped matters, Sirius had decided to drag his brother outside, by any means necessary.

James assumed that Regulus was suffering from some kind of post-traumatic stress, as were many who had lived through the war. James knew that it was probably harder for Sirius's brother than for many others, since Regulus was one of the few Death Eaters who had been forced to do Voldemort's bidding involuntarily.

Sirius had told James some of the things his younger brother had done and seen, and truthfully, it made James's skin crawl with unease. James himself wasn't close with Regulus, but the man had more than once been a topic in their chats during his years of friendship with Sirius.

James cleared his throat. "It might do good for him," he said lightly.

Sirius nodded, not looking assured at the slightest. "Yeah, it might."

They both started to work in silence; Sirius still with the case file, while James began to fill the report about their latest mission. They were partners, had been since the war had ended. Moody – who was leading their squad, had informed that since both Sirius and James had shown some extraordinary talent during the war by not dying, he was able to reduce their training by half. So, they basically had less than six months of training left, and since the last year of the three-year Auror training was completed in the field with partners, Sirius and James had been working on with cases since the final battle.

The first month and a half had been hectic for them - if they hadn't been attending various funerals, they had been chasing down the rest of the Death Eaters, Dementors, Giants and such. Only now their days seemed to be calmer, and so the boys spent a lot of their time filling out reports and going through some of the low-importance cases that had been disregarded due to the chaos that had followed the final battle. There was still a lot of work to be done before the wizarding world could go back to normal.

Remus and Peter had been working at the DMLE as well right after the war, but Remus had returned to the University in the beginning of October, and Peter to his Rune apprenticeship a week or so after.

"You seen Pete?" Sirius asked, taking a break from reading, stretching his back.

James grunted as his quill left a small blotch of ink on the parchment. "Not since last week."

Sirius hummed. "Think he'd come downstairs with us?" Sirius asked mildly.

James glanced at his mate and saw a small smirk playing on his lips. "Wha…No, mate," He said warningly as he realised what Sirius had meant.

There was a cafeteria downstairs they sometimes went to for lunch. And there was this guy, Jake, who worked there, and he was, well…He had asked James out once, on a date, and while Sirius had found it hilarious, James had been rather uncomfortable. He had nothing against the guy, of course, but the situation itself had been rather awkward.

"What?" Sirius said with a grin. "I'd go for Jake if I were a poof."

James rolled his eyes. "If I floo Pete, promise you won't do or say anything?" James asked wearily, knowing already that his friend wouldn't keep his promise.

Sirius winked. "Of course. Trust me."

* * *

Her wand was buzzing. "Oh, bugger…" Hermione muttered, fishing her pockets.

She shivered slightly. The cold sea wind was hitting her skin with an unforgiving force. "A-ha!" She said as she located her wand and waved it over the various samples of seaweed she had collected. The green and brown tangles flew into several different flasks she had been carrying in her satchel.

Hermione shivered again and cast a couple of drying and warming charms over herself. "Finally," She sighed as a warm wave coursed through her body, evading the coldness and wetness. She swung the strap of her satchel over her shoulder and started to make her way away from the rocky shore, up on the sharp cliffs, across the bare landscape, and towards the small cottage that stood out in the distance.

She was alone, with only remains of houses and structures around her, in the middle of the wild nature. She was in Boreray, an uninhabited island in the North Atlantic. The place was beautiful, with its razor-sharp hills and gentle valleys that were shrouded in mist. As Hermione slipped inside her small cottage, she cast a couple of spells to rouse the flames in the small fireplace. She emptied her satchel's contents into a cabinet next to her writing desk. There were parchments and quills scattered on the table, and Hermione pursed her lips as she flicked her wand to organise her stationery. She had left in haste early that morning, and apparently had left a small mess behind.

Heaving a weary sigh, she went to the kitchenette and pulled out a small box of food from the cooling cabinet. She tapped her wand on the box, heating the food. It wasn't much, but she didn't have the time to prepare anything else, since she was due to have a meeting with Viridian soon.

After the final battle, when she had been making the necessary arrangements for her planned time off, Viridian had contacted her and asked if she wished to continue her apprenticeship. Hermione had told him what she had said to everyone else, that she needed to get away from everything and everyone. She had told him that she wanted to continue her apprenticeship, but she knew that it wasn't an option if she wanted to get away, and didn't even know when she was going to return. Then Viridian had asked if she already knew where she was going to go, and mentioned that the company employed several researchers who worked independently with their own projects, and only reported back to him every other week via floo. Hermione had been intrigued, and soon they had agreed that she would go to an abandoned island in the North, to research and study a rare magical seaweed that only grew in there, and was a rather valuable ingredient in the Potions market.

The island was surrounded with several Muggle repellent charms as its surroundings were inhabited by a herd of Merpeople, making it a perfect place to retreat.

Hermione sat at the small dining table and began to eat. Her eyes were drawn to an open letter on the table. Hermione took it and re-read it.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _I can't believe it's been over two months since we've seen each other. How are you? I hope you're well. I also hope you'll come back soon, so that I have someone I can grouch about my life to._

 _Life here goes on, slowly but surely. I've been promoted to a head trainer in the Auror Academy, and I'm now responsible for the new recruits and their first years of training. Let's just say it's been rather hectic at work._

 _Have you heard from Molly? I went to see her and the rest of their clan a couple of days ago and she told me that she had written to you, but wasn't sure if their owl had managed to deliver the letter. Everything's okay with Molly, Arthur, and their ever-growing band of mischief-makers. Dear Merlin, you should see the twins. They're a menace! I'm lucky to be alive after one night with them. I'm never going to babysit them again!_

 _Fabian and Emmeline send their love._

 _Owl me when you can,_

 _Gideon_

She smiled as she read the letter, chuckling at Gideon's comments about Fred and George. Mischief-makers, indeed. Hermione felt a wave of yearning as she thought of her friends and family. She missed everyone dearly, and lately, the thought of going back had flashed through her mind more than once. She wanted to be with her friends. She wanted to be there when Lily's and James's baby, and Molly's next child – Hermione anxiously hoped it would be Ron – were going to be born. She wanted to be surrounded by them all, and she wanted to see if there still was a future with Regulus.

Hermione knew she had left him, and everyone, in a bad time. She had left Regulus when he probably had needed her the most. But she just hadn't been able to handle it. She had lost so, so much. She had felt empty and broken, unrepairable. All she had been able to think was how she had failed. That she had had the chance to save people, but in the end, many had still suffered.

She had had the time to mull over every wretched thought in her mind during the past two months. And she knew it had helped matters, to be away from everything, to be with only in the company of her own thoughts. There was still a lot to do, and to reflect upon. But she was getting there. She was healing.

Hermione searched through the small pile of letters she had received from Lily, Remus, Gideon, Molly and Ab. She finally found Molly's previous letter, which had arrived the previous morning. Hermione left it open on the table, deciding to reply as soon as her meeting with Viridian was over and moved to sit in front of the fireplace.

She waited for a short while, and then a faint pop came from the midst of the flames. Viridian's head was floating in the middle.

"Good afternoon, Hermione."

Hermione smiled at the man. "Good afternoon, Mr. Viridian. How are you?"

* * *

"Gideon!"

Gideon stopped in mid-stride by the sound of his name. He turned towards the familiar voice and smiled as he saw a red-haired witch in lime-green robes, a couple of clipboards tucked into her armpit and a cup of tea in her other hand.

Lily's smile faltered and she rushed towards him to the reception area. "What's going on?" She asked with a hint of worry, dropping her bearings on the nearest side table. The reception area was rather quiet at the time, with only a small witch sitting in the corner, belching green bubbles. Lily lifted her brows at him in question, glancing at his arm studiously. Gideon was cradling his right arm, which was limp, and very much swollen.

Gideon grimaced. "A bit of an accident during training…" he muttered and let her examine the arm a bit.

"Oh?" Lily asked as she waved her wand over his arm, checking it with a diagnostic charm.

"A malfunctioning curse during a duel practice. One of my trainees threw a muscle-relaxing jinx at his opponent but it collided with a stunning spell shot from another direction, ultimately hitting my arm," Gideon said with a shrug, and let out a quiet wince of pain as Lily ran her fingers gently over his arm.

Lily frowned. "Let's go to the examine room, yeah? I'll call Healer Higgs to take a look at it," she muttered, and gathered her things.

"Yeah, okay." Gideon said and followed her through double doors.

They walked along a narrow hallway, passing a couple of Healers who greeted Lily with a nod. It wasn't the first time Gideon had been in St Mungo's for a fix-up. He'd had his fair share of accidents and injuries during his years at the Auror Office.

"Which ward are you training in?" He asked as they walked through the Artefact Accidents ward on the ground floor, towards the staircase. Gideon could hear a faint moaning through one of the doors.

Lily cleared her throat. "I'm under Healer Jackson in the Potion and Plant Poisoning. But I'm actually filling in at the Spell Damage at the moment since Mary went back to the Ministry, and their ward tend to have a bit more rush than we do," she explained and opened a door for him as they reached the end of the hallway.

Gideon gave her a nod and walked through the door towards a staircase. "And have you liked it here?" He asked as he ascended the stairs with her. He knew St Mungo's had been quite the busy place when the war had ended, and that it must've been stressful.

Lily gave him a nod. "I suppose, yes. I mean, it is hard work, and us trainees have all kinds of small tests every two or three months to show our progress, which some of them I've only managed to muddle through. But other than that, I love helping people," she said with a small smile.

Gideon smiled at her. "You're not putting yourself through too much stress, are you?" He asked hesitantly, glancing at her round belly.

"No. At least I don't think so…I mean, I feel fine," Lily muttered stiffly, seemingly not wanting to continue the discussion. Gideon wondered if it was something that had perhaps been a topic of discussion with her husband and friends. They climbed another flight of stairs, ending up on the fourth floor, in front of a door that bore the words; _Spell Damage_. Underneath there was a card that said: _Healer-in-Charge: Sybella Jones. Healers: John Jenkins, Mafalda Timms, Edgar Higgs. Trainee Healers: Kendra Bell, Alan Switch, Lily Potter (deputy trainee)._

They stepped inside the Spell Damage ward, and Gideon saw several corridors leading out from the oak panelled reception room. He knew that the ward was the largest in St Mungo's, at least it had been during the wartime. The reception room was bustling with people, with patients and their families, with Healers and Healer Trainees.

Lily eyed around them for a moment before she jerked her head towards a door on which stood the text _Incorrectly Applied Charms_. She led him inside the ward and turned left, accessing the first room. "You can wait there while I'll get Healer Higgs, okay?"

Gideon nodded and sat down on the hospital bed. The room was small and dimly lit, with only the one bed, a couple of chairs against the wall next to a small writing desk and no windows. He didn't have to wait for long before a dark-haired man in his forties entered the room, with Lily trailing behind him.

"Mr. Prewett. I'm Healer Higgs," he said briskly, nodding at Gideon. "So…What brings you here today?" He asked and moved closer to Gideon.

"Yes, hello. It's my arm. Had a couple of jinxes mixing up and going astray during Auror practice." Gideon said while the Healer flicked his wand over Gideon's arm to cast diagnostic spells. The dull pain he had felt earlier had magnified and he only then noticed that he was gritting his teeth to supress the pain.

The Healer curiously eyed the dark green mist that was emanating from Gideon's arm. "Ah. You seem to be missing quite a few bones, Mr. Prewett," the Healer said simply, sending another set of diagnostic spells on his arm. "And a few muscles." he said, glancing at Gideon. "Rough practice?" He asked, chuckling slightly.

Gideon nearly arched a brow at the Healer, not feeling a bit entertained because of the pain.

The Healer turned to Lily. "Let's admit him in for the night for an emergency bone and muscle tissue re-growth." Lily nodded at him and wrote something hastily on the clipboard she was holding.

Then the Healer said his goodbyes, before Gideon had the time to argue. "What? I'm here for the night?" He asked from Lily with a hint of frustration.

Lily gave him a tight smile. "Yes, and unfortunately you have to drink a ton of bad tasting potions to get you up and running," She said with a small cringe. "But, luckily you have me as your companion since I have to monitor you, at least until my shift ends," Lily said and grinned at him.

"Shit…Scrimgeour's gonna murder me…" Gideon muttered and rubbed his neck with his working hand.

Lily arched a brow at him. "Surely your guv will appreciate a Chief Instructor having both of his hands?" She asked with a wry tone, shaking her head slightly as she went to a cabinet under the desk and pulled out several bottles of simmering potions.

Gideon smirked at her. "Well, you obviously don't know Scrimgeour…" he muttered.

A moment later Gideon was coughing after gulping down two vials of the most horrific tasting potions he had ever drunk. "Circe, I really hope this works. It tastes like dog piss." he muttered and lay down on the hospital bed as Lily had instructed him.

Lily laughed. "Oh, don't be such a baby," she said and threw him a blanket before she sat down on one of the chairs.

Gideon saw her take a sharp breath and frown at her belly. "Everything okay?" he asked warily. It seemed that she was in a bit of pain. He shuffled up a bit in his hospital bed so that he was leaning against the several pillows instead.

Lily shook her head slightly. "It's nothing, really. Just baby kicking a bit," She said and gave him a reassuring smile.

Gideon nodded. "It's a boy, yeah?"

Lily smiled. "Yes, he is."

"Got a name for him yet?" Gideon asked curiously.

Lily made a face. "Unfortunately, no, we do not. James and I…We are having a bit of a disagreement about the name," she said with a mix of amusement and frustration.

Gideon hummed, remembering vaguely how Molly and Arthur had argued over the same topic. "Why is that?"

Lily frowned a bit, before she replied. "Well, James wants to name the baby after one of his ancestors, but nothing he has suggested has seemed right to me," she muttered and gave him a helpless shrug.

Gideon gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure it'll come to you when you least expect it. Something that both of you agree on," he said slowly, his focus faltering. Only then he remembered something. _Harry_. Did Lily and James know about him? Probably not. Gideon knew Hermione had told her friends parts regarding her old life, but he wasn't sure how much the girl had confessed.

He glanced at Lily, and saw her eyeing him curiously. "What is it?" She asked.

Gideon cleared his throat, trying to think of what to say to her. "Er…I'm. Well. The thing is…It's nothing, just remembered something. It doesn't matter…" He stammered and looked away.

"What? What were you thinking? Has James said something?" Lily asked suspiciously and stood up from the chair, studying him as she moved closer.

"Erm. Nothing. Forget it," Gideon said hastily, and could feel his ears redden.

Lily arched a brow at him. "Gideon Ignatius Prewett. You better fess up now what you are so poorly trying to keep from me, or else…" she said threateningly.

 _Brilliant._ Gideon thought and rubbed his face. He knew he shouldn't meddle into anything, especially if Hermione hadn't said anything about Harry – and frankly, she probably hadn't, since Lily hadn't mentioned anything about the name Harry. He glanced at the redhead, who had her eyes narrowed at him, her hands on her hips. _Shit_ …

Gideon had thought himself being a tough one, a wizard who wasn't bossed around by anyone - well, except by his sister – but the look Lily gave him was slightly unnerving, and it made his resolve falter. He let out a weary sigh. "Has Hermione told you about her old life? Her friends?" He asked quietly.

Lily's brows lifted in surprise. She clearly hadn't been expecting him to ask her that. "Um…No. Why?" She asked slowly.

"They…they met at the Hogwarts Express and became close friends, kind of like your group, I reckon. From what I gather, they fought Voldemort several times during their teenage years, up until she was accidentally sent into this time," He said with a frown.

"Oh…" Lily said, and Gideon could see her stare at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Who were they?" She asked after a beat.

Gideon gave her a small smile. "Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley."

Her jaw dropped. She cleared her throat nervously. "As…as in, um…"

"Yeah, Lily and James Potter's son," he said softly. It was so surreal, that Hermione, his Hermione, had been best friends with Lily's son and his nephew, with whom Molly assumedly was now pregnant. It was surreal that she had already fought in a war, before the one in this time had even properly started.

Lily huffed out a breath, her mouth opening and closing in shock. "I'm…I…"

Gideon's mouth quirked up a bit. "I know. But don't be mad at her for not telling, yeah? She's had a lot on her plate…" He said uneasily, eyeing her carefully.

Lily blinked and was quiet for a moment. "Um. Yes. Of course not. Godric…" She muttered, shaking her head slightly as she mulled the news in her head.

Gideon didn't have a chance to say anything else on the matter before someone knocked softly on the door and stepped inside. A Healer – a very attractive one in her late twenties or so – glanced over the room.

"Oh, excuse me," She said with a polite smile to Gideon before she turned towards the still stunned Lily. "I was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment," She said with a slight cringe. "Healer Jackson has a bit of a situation on the third floor, and she might need some assistance," She continued, while Lily cleared her throat and nodded, evidently pushing the new information in the back of her mind.

"Of course," Lily said and moved towards Gideon, who was trying his best not to stare at the woman, whoever she was.

"I'll just put on some monitoring charms on Mr. Prewett," Lily added and lifted her wand.

The Healer waved her hand in mild dismissal. "I can monitor him and then place the charms if necessary," she said easily and took a clipboard from the end of his hospital bed, which Gideon assumed contained his information and the reason for his admission. "The first hour is the most critical to monitor in his case, I reckon," the Healer muttered as her eyes moved over the clipboard.

She finally lifted her eyes to look at the others. "I've got it, go on," She said kindly to Lily and sat on the chair which Lily had previously vacated.

"Oh. Okay," Lily said unsurely, moving towards the door. "Just, send me a note if you'll be needed somewhere else, Healer Jones," She said politely.

Healer Jones winked at Lily. "Of course."

The door closed and they were in silence. Gideon swallowed. It was slightly awkward, to be with a stranger in a small space, and not to talk about anything. He studied her features as she scribbled something on his chart. The woman was of average height, she had a shapely figure and dark brown hair that flowed over her shoulders. Her facial features were sharp and defined, and there seemed to be a professional air flowing around her.

"So…" Healer Jones said tentatively, her green eyes finding his. "A work injury?" She asked with a hint of curiosity. "And according to your file, you've had quite a few of those," She said with a knowing look.

Gideon gave her a small smile. "Well, yeah. I'm an Auror. We tend to get knocked around every once in a while," he said, and could see her mouth quirking up. Seeing her being amused by his words made him feel… _well_ , he didn't even want to go there.

Healer Jones chuckled. "I gathered. I think I've met your brother here a couple of times as well."

Gideon smirked. "Yeah, well…He's the clumsy one," He said jokingly.

Healer Jones laughed, and for a small moment, her eyes sparkled before she cleared her throat and schooled her features. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything about tending your brother." She said, the tips of her ears tinging with red.

"No worries," he said and smiled at her. She looked utterly stunning. And all of it made him inwardly curse his luck. Of course, the one time he actually found someone interesting, it was unprofessional to make advances on her.

She gave him a long look, and swallowed nervously. "I know this might sound a bit straightforward, but…Would you fancy a cup of tea in the Tearoom?" She asked carefully, searching his features.

Gideon grinned. "Am I not supposed to stay here for monitoring?" He asked, feeling a bit thrilled as she started to stammer.

"Oh. Um. Yes. Of course you must stay here. I meant after…but…I'm sorry, I…Forgive me," she said hastily, looking away, her face red.

He was cheering inwardly and feeling very nervous as he spoke. "But I'd like to have tea with you."

* * *

"Bloody moron," Mary grumbled as her quill scratched against the parchment forcefully.

An amused huff of laughter came from behind her. "I hope you have a bit more taste in your writing than in your speech."

Mary rolled her eyes. "What is it, Black? It's only the third time you're pestering me during my workday," she said dryly and turned around in her chair to meet the raven-haired Marauder with a bored look on her face.

Amanda, the other of her two team members gave Sirius an appraising look. Sirius answered to her with a small tilt of his head and a smouldering smile.

Mary aimed a kick to his shin, which the wizard quickly dodged.

"Keep your legs in check, McDonald," Sirius laughed and dropped a small parcel on the edge of her desk. "More evidence from the Apothecary case," he said simply, sending a wink at Amanda, who was still batting her eyelashes at him.

Mary sighed. "Yes, thank you, Sirius. Now, please, be on your way. You're bothering us. We have a ton of work to do," she grumbled and arched a brow at Amanda, who hastily returned back to writing her report.

Sirius smirked at Mary. "Didn't know you were so dedicated, McDonald. Are you planning on coming to the pub with us later?" He asked and leaned casually against the edge of her desk.

Mary shrugged. "I might. I promised to pop by at Lily's at night though, so it really depends on how I manage to finish with this," She said and jerked her head towards her table.

"You'll do just fine," He said with a wave of his hand. When Mary let out a scoff, he added. "Okay then. I'll see you later," he said and bounced on his feet. He glanced at Amanda. "And your team members are of course welcome to join us," he said slyly, ignoring Mary's scowl and grinning at Amanda, who flushed slightly, but still looked like Christmas had come early.

* * *

He was walking along the long, cobbled street, passing several little shops that were still bustling with customers even though it was almost closing time. Numerous carved pumpkins adorned the shop windows and many shopkeepers and residents of Diagon Alley had decorated their shop exteriors and entrances with spider webs. It was dark and cold, and Remus pulled his coat tighter around him, shivering slightly under the icy breeze.

He'd had a long day, first at school, and then one of his professors had invited the students who were taking his course into a book launch party. The party hadn't been compulsory for the students, but Remus had wanted to attend, even though he was feeling a bit under the weather. The full moon was approaching, and he was already feeling the effects of it. His monthly doses of Wolfsbane potion lessened the symptoms of his lycanthropy significantly and had made his life remarkably better, but the full moon still had some effect on him.

Finally, he came to stand in front of a brick wall, which led to the Leaky Cauldron. Remus tapped one of the bricks, and immediately the archway between Diagon Alley and Leaky Cauldron opened in the wall. For some reason, his friends always gathered at the Leaky, even though there were several other places in Diagon alley they could go to. As he stepped into the dimly lit, but packed pub, Remus wondered whether Sirius had managed to drag his brother with him. His question was soon answered when Mary waved at him from one of the tables in the corner.

"Over here!" She shouted over the steady hum and chattering of the pub's clientele. She was sitting next to Peter, and opposite to James and Regulus.

Remus smiled at his friends and went to their table. "Hey guys. Hello, love," He added and leaned down to kiss Mary on her cheek. "I thought you said you wouldn't come?" Remus asked Mary as the others greeted him back. Mary and Peter scooted further on the bench, making room for him.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Well, yes, I _was_ going to skip this and go straight to Lily's, but…since _someone_ decided to lay his _charm_ on one of my team members, I felt necessary to come and make sure she's not going to fall for his dalliances," she said sharply, glowering at the bar, to which Sirius was leaning on while chatting to a girl who stood close to him. The girl giggled and touched his arm playfully.

Mary growled.

Remus saw Regulus roll his eyes as he stared at his brother's ministrations, while James suppressed a grin and took a swig from his Butterbeer.

Remus turned back to Mary. "Well, I'm sure your team mate – "

"Amanda," Mary interrupted him with a tight voice.

Remus cleared his throat. "Yes, Amanda, can take care of herself. I mean, perhaps they're just talking," he said and glanced at the bar. Or not. The couple was leaning closer to each other by the minute, and Mary was bristling next to him. Brilliant.

"Why are you even bothered by them?" James asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. "You know how Pads is – and well, they're both adults," he said simply.

Mary arched a brow at James. "What if they start to date and then break up? What if one of them wants something more than the other? Then _I_ would be the one who is put in an awkward position. _I'm_ the one who has to listen to her. And since she couldn't even shut up about him after only meeting him briefly today, I'm rather certain that I will be hearing about this little spectacle," she said with annoyance.

James shrugged and glanced at Peter, who was eyeing the situation with a curious look. Regulus was silent and stared at his Butterbeer bottle on the table.

"I'll grab a drink," Remus muttered. "And say hello to Pads…"

Mary's eyes were trained at the couple. "You do that, love." She said absently, narrowing her eyes as Sirius pushed a tendril of Amanda's hair behind her ear.

Remus left the table, grimacing inwardly. He knew Mary had a point – it was inconvenient – but he reckoned she was taking it a bit too personally for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the pressure of her new job and the responsibility of having subordinates. Whatever it was, Remus decided to ask Sirius to tone it down a bit, at least until Mary was gone. He had a strong suspicion that Sirius wasn't that serious about the girl, based on his demeanour. He knew that Hermione had probably been the only girl Sirius had dated, and even that had lasted less than four months.

Sirius saw him approaching and his grin changed into a more genuine one. "Moony!" He said cheerfully and pulled Remus into a tight hug, clapping his back.

"Hey Pads," Remus said, his mood lifting instantly. He glanced at Amanda, who was eyeing him with slight interest. Remus could practically feel Mary's glare on his back. He cleared his throat. "Hello. I'm Remus Lupin. Nice to meet you," he said politely to her.

Amanda gave him a sugary smile. "Amanda Davies. Nice to meet you too," She said sweetly. "Gosh, are all Mary's friends this handsome?"

Remus felt his cheeks flame while Sirius sniggered. "Um. Yeah. I'm actually Mary's boyfriend," Remus stammered, feeling uncomfortable.

Amanda burst in laughter. "Of course I know you're with Mary, silly…" She said and gave his shoulder a friendly shove. Sirius eyed their conversation with amusement.

Remus gave her a tight smile. "Right. Of course. Would you mind if I steal Sirius for a bit?" He asked and gave his friend a meaningful look.

Amanda smiled. "Sure, no problem."

Remus nodded and walked around the bar to an empty spot, out of Amanda's hearing distance, with Sirius trailing behind him. He briefly wondered why the girl didn't go to sit with Mary and the rest of their group, but the thought was discarded as Sirius gave him a questioning look.

"What is it?" He asked lightly, nodding his head to the barkeep, who nodded back and seconds after levitated two glasses of Firewhiskey in front of them.

Remus arched a brow at the drinks but took the one Sirius was offering him. "Amanda?" He asked pointedly, and took a sip of his drink. The liquor burned softly as it moved down his throat.

Sirius smirked. "Yeah? She seems okay, don't you think?" He said vaguely, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Remus lifted his brows slightly. "Whatever it is, keep yourself in check, mate. Mary's gonna be miffed if you screw up her assistant," He said with a knowing look.

Sirius grinned. "Oh, I intend to –"

"Do not finish that sentence." Remus said threateningly.

"What?" Sirius asked innocently. "I was merely pointing out that I intend to get to know her," He said simply.

Remus arched a brow at him.

"Really, it's _your_ mind that has all these derogatory thoughts, not mine," Sirius continued, and winked at Remus before downing half of his drink.

Remus gritted his teeth. "Pads…" He said with a hint of warning in his voice.

Sirius's demeanour became solemn. "Fine." He said darkly and let out a weary sigh.

They sipped their drinks in silence.

"Heard anything from Hermione?" Sirius asked casually, his eyes flickering to the other end of the pub, where his brother was still sitting with James, Peter and Mary.

Remus shrugged. "Nothing new. She's still working with her research. Said she misses everyone but that's about it," Remus muttered, feeling slightly bummed out by her aloofness.

Sirius grunted in reply, seemingly sharing Remus's feelings. The black-haired Marauder stared at his drink for a moment before he quaffed the rest of it in one gulp, grimacing slightly.

* * *

An hour or so later, Sirius was feeling rather sozzled as he made his way towards their table, a round of drinks floating in front of him. After his chat with Remus, his friend had returned to their table and Sirius had gone back to Amanda, only to tell her that she was welcome to hang out with them, but there wasn't going to be anything between them, since it could've had complicated things at her work place. Amanda had seemed slightly disappointed, as had he been, but she had said that she understood, and that she would be heading home.

Mary had soon left after Amanda, to hang out with Lily in Godric's Hollow. A while after, Peter had disappeared somewhere during his swing by the loo, and then James and Remus had gone searching for him.

Sirius sniggered as he sat opposite to his brother, pushing a glass of Firewhiskey towards him.

Regulus arched a brow at him. "Do I even want to know?"

Sirius shrugged. "Found Pete," he said with a mischievous grin. The annoyance crossing his brother's features made him only more amused, if possible. Oh, he had found Pete, alright. And Sirius didn't blame his friend for forgetting the rest of them.

Regulus sighed. "Well?"

"Let's just say he'll probably leave soon, accompanied." Sirius said and gave his brother a knowing look.

Regulus nodded slowly. "And you're okay with that? Your friends leaving with strangers from pubs?" He asked and took a sip from his drink.

Sirius stared at him, sighing inwardly. Of course there was always going to be the possibility of something bad happening, but the war had ended, over three months ago. And his brother was still partially living like nothing had changed. He was living in seclusion, barely leaving Grimmauld Place. Sirius reckoned Regulus's unwillingness to leave his home had more to do with him not knowing how to move on, or what to do with his life, than with anything else.

"Yeah. It's a guy from the ministry," Sirius merely said and took a hefty gulp of his Firewhiskey. He stared at his brother for a long while, who looked back with an expressionless face. "You figured out what to do with your life already?" He asked lightly, glancing around the pub. Remus and James were still looking for Pete, by the looks of it.

Regulus looked away when Sirius's eyes were fixed at him again. He was silent for a while before he spoke. "I applied for a Curse-Breaker apprenticeship a couple of weeks ago."

Sirius was slightly taken aback by the news. So, his brother _had_ done some future plans and taken actions already. "Oh. That's…I mean, that's great, Reggie! And challenging, I reckon," He said and then hesitated. "Are you aiming to get away?" He asked, feeling a bit disoriented. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer. He knew that Curse-Breakers usually worked for Gringotts, and were known to operate in Egypt and other ancient magical areas. He didn't want to think about the possibility of his brother not being a part of his life, yet again.

Regulus shrugged. "Not necessarily. There are several establishments that recruit Curse-Breakers to work here in Britain. Nevertheless, they accepted me." he said simply, sipping his drink.

Relief and excitement filled him, and Sirius gave his brother a wide grin. "Then I'm thrilled for you, brother!" He said gleefully. "We should celebrate!"

Regulus lifted his brows slightly. "Are we not doing that at the moment?"

Sirius barked a laugh and left the table, making his way towards the bar. He spotted James and Remus there, in the middle of a discussion.

"What are you fine gents scheming here?" Sirius cheerily asked as he neared his friends. His grin faded as he saw the grim looks on James's and Remus's faces. It seemed as if they'd been in the middle of an argument.

Remus gave him a tight smile, while James rolled his eyes at Remus and turned to Sirius. "Just trying to convince Moony here that I'll take care of our drinks," he said nonchalantly.

Sirius saw the sullen look on Remus's face but didn't press on the matter. "You saw Pete?" He asked with a sly grin. "He was –"

James snorted, interrupting him. "Yeah, having a bit of hanky panky with Jake, apparently."

Sirius chuckled. "Go Pete. But hey, guess what? Reggie's gonna be a Curse-Breaker!" He said, feeling proud of his little brother. Remus and James seemed equally happy and relieved, and Sirius knew it was because his friends knew that Regulus's situation had been bothering him for quite some time now.

"Thought we ought to celebrate," He added happily, and both James and Remus readily agreed.

He had just managed to place an order for the most expensive bottle in the house when James cursed loudly next to him.

"Alright mate?" Sirius asked him, while he and Remus both stared at James with confusion.

James eyes were fixed on a Galleon that lay on his palm. His eyes slowly came up to meet his friends, his face ashen, his eyes widened in fright.

"Lily's at Mungo's."

It took a moment for any of them to say another word, or react to what James had uttered.

"Fuck. Shit. She okay?" Sirius stammered, feeling a rush of fear hit him.

James stared at the coin and seemed to be reading something, supposedly another message in there, his expression something between shock and dread.

"What do you think, Pads?!" James bellowed incredulously, tearing his focus from the coin to look at his friends. His breathing was quickened, and he cursed again and shoved his hands into his hair. "Shit. Mungo's. Something's wrong…Some complications…It's too early…What the fuck am I gonna do…" He mumbled, pulling his hair with frustration, panic evident in his eyes.

"James," Remus said calmly, even though Sirius could see him looking as anxious as he himself felt.

James turned his focus on Remus, a helpless look in his eyes.

"Take a breath. Everyone's going to be alright. You need to calm down, and then you need to go to her, right?" Remus said simply. "Mary's with her, and Lily's going to be fine, James." He added.

James nodded slowly, still looking at loss. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right," he muttered before he turned and marched back to their table, presumably to grab his belongings. Sirius and Remus quickly followed him.

"Lily's at Mungo's," Remus explained to Regulus as soon as they reached their table. Regulus stood up swiftly, looking at his brother and the others with an alarmed look.

"I'll go with Prongs," Remus said to Sirius. "Get Pete," He said and gave Regulus a furtive glance before he looked back at Sirius. "And Hermione."

Sirius swallowed, the graveness of the situation finally hitting him in full force. "Yeah. Sure." Before James and Remus started to leave, Sirius took a hold of James's arm. "Prongs, wait," He said, not really sure what he wanted to say to his best friend. That everything was going to be alright? That Lily and the baby were going to survive? That he was supposed to calm the fuck down? During war, those words had been meaningless. There was no guarantee of anything, and what did calming down ever help anyone?

They shared a meaningful look, and James finally gave him a small nod. "I know," He said quietly.

"We'll be right behind you," Sirius said as Remus and James left them and walked towards the fireplace.

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to gather up his errant thoughts.

"What do you want me to do?" Regulus asked quietly as he studied his brother.

Sirius glanced at him, feeling grateful that he wasn't alone in the situation. He knew that Regulus had already guessed what he was about to ask him, but it still made him cringe slightly. "I need to reach Hermione. But I have no fucking idea where she is, and since owling her could take days, that's not even an option…" He said to his brother, having an inkling that if anyone knew how to reach her, it was him.

Regulus looked away, frowning at the floor.

"Reggie?" Sirius asked pressingly. He knew he had been right based on Regulus's reaction.

Regulus nodded slowly. "You're right. I know where she is."

If the situation hadn't been that urgent, he'd have forced more information out of Regulus – how did he know her whereabouts? Had he seen her? Had he talked to her? – but he merely settled with, "Then I want you to get her."

A small frown framed his face, but otherwise Regulus seemed indifferent. But of course, Sirius knew it wasn't like that. He knew Regulus, how he reacted, how his mind worked. Sirius knew his brother was probably both terrified and eager to see her.

"I'll go and find Pete, and we'll meet at the lobby in St Mungo's, yeah?" He asked, flicking his wand to his leather jacket, summoning a couple of vials of sober-up-potion. He handed one of the vials to Regulus, who nodded in agreement, took the vial and without a word, tossed it down.

* * *

It was madness. Why had he agreed to do it? He could've just given Sirius the coordinates, or, hell, he could've just given him the damned compass, as his brother probably still felt the same about her. They hadn't really talked about it, and the whole…fling, or whatever the hell it had been between Hermione and Sirius, had been left undiscussed.

Shivering in the cold sea breeze, Regulus made his way towards the shore. He glanced at the compass, which still pointed to the island that was looming ahead of him, approximately four miles from Hirta, where he currently was. The problem was, that it was impossible to apparate to Boreray, since the Ministry had placed several anti-apparition charms around the island because of its rare magical flora.

"Excellent," Regulus muttered as he glanced around him in the remote island, trying to think what he could use as a boat. Conjuring something was always risky, especially if one was going in open waters. He finally located a stack of trees and began his work.

A couple of moments later, a large, sturdy boat swayed slightly from side to side at the shore.

Regulus quickly hopped into the boat, and flicked his wand to move forward. As the island, its massive sea stacks and its sharp cliffs came closer, he tried to think of what was he going to say to her. Obviously, something about Lily, but what else? He eventually came to the conclusion that it was better to keep everything else under the lid until the situation regarding the red-haired witch had been solved.

The boat slowed down near the cliffs, but there were still meters of water between him and the rocky cliffs. Cursing, he gritted his teeth and jumped into the water in order to swim the rest of the trip.

"F-Fuck!" He gurgled as he surfaced. The water was freezing. It felt like every cell of his body was in flames, like suffering a mild Cruciatus. Gritting his teeth and calming his mind Regulus made his way forward, and soon scrambled up the rocky cliff.

With his teeth clattering, Regulus quickly cast a warming charm on his body. Still shivering lightly, he made his way upwards, climbing to the higher levels of the island where he assumed her camp was.

Fifteen minutes later he stood in front of a small cottage that was nestled between trees, near the ruins of what Regulus assumed had once been a small castle. He went to the door and hesitated. He was just about to knock when the door burst open.

She was there, her wand trained at him, her hair wild. And she looked gorgeous.

"Hermione," Regulus said softly, his mind drawing blank for a few moments.

"R-Regulus," Hermione said, her breath catching. She stared at him with wide eyes, his sudden presence seemingly taking her by surprise. "Y-You're here. How did you…How did you find me?" Hermione spluttered.

Regulus could only stare at her, and even though he knew the situation was critical, there still were a thousand things he wanted to say to her. There were thousand things he wanted to do to her, some of which not even decent enough to be spoken aloud. With effort, he pushed everything into a dark corner of his mind and slowly brought his hand up and opened his palm. "With this," He said simply.

Hermione let out a shaky breath, staring at the compass in wonder, and then him with vulnerability and with something he couldn't quite place. "Reg, I –" She muttered hesitantly.

"Something's happened," He said quickly, cutting her off before either one of them could say anything else. He knew it would be even harder to let her go if she agreed to be his. On the other hand, he was afraid that what she would say to him, was the complete opposite. Nevertheless, he knew she had to be with her friend, and he didn't want to keep her from it.

Hermione gasped. "What? ...No. Who?" She whispered, panic evident in her eyes.

Regulus lifted a calming hand. "Lily's at St Mungo's. I don't know much, but it seems that there are some complications –"

"Let's go!" Hermione said harshly, interrupting him.

She marched back inside, leaving him at the threshold. Regulus blinked and followed her in, eyeing around him curiously as he saw her run around the cottage and summon her belongings.

The cottage was small, but very cosy. It was very much like her, with parchments and books and quills neatly stacked on tables and a flowery scent flowing around the place. It made his insides twist slightly. What if she would be coming back here instead of her home?

"That should be all…" Hermione muttered, checking her satchel before looking at him.

There were so many emotions swirling in her eyes, so many feelings he could name. She had always been so easy to read. She stared at him with a mix of longing and regret, and evidently tried to figure out what to say to him. Regulus knew that now wasn't the time for it. And she knew it too.

"We are to meet my brother in the lobby of St Mungo's. Is your fireplace connected to the floo network?" He asked, moving towards it.

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded hastily as she too walked to the fireplace. "Yes, it is," She said and grabbed a handful of floo powder from the jar in the mantelpiece before handing him the container.

He watched her throw the powder into the flames and then step into the fireplace. With a final, confused glance at him, she yelled, "St Mungo's!"

* * *

Hermione stepped into the waiting room of St Mungo's, and immediately a familiar sound reached her ears.

"She was admitted here a while ago, how the fuck would I know when and where exactly?! I just know she's here, my friends are here, and I need to be with them!" Sirius was yelling to the witch at the front desk while Peter stared at their argument anxiously, and obviously still drunk.

Hermione cringed and walked hastily towards the boys, with Regulus trailing behind her.

"Sir, if you are not going to calm down, I will have you banned from this establishment!"

Sirius growled. "And I'll have your arse cursed soon, lady," He said through gritted teeth.

"Sirius!" Hermione hissed at him, grabbing him by his shoulder with a glare. Sirius faltered, caught by surprise from her presence.

"Hermione," Sirius breathed, his anger fading away. He quickly pulled her into a crushing hug. "…Fuck, I've missed you," He murmured against her hair.

Hermione felt her heart warm. "Me too," She whispered and pulled back to give him a wide smile.

She went to hug Peter as Regulus came to stand in front of the desk. "I apologise for my brother. Our friend is in here, in a critical condition and we would like nothing more than to see her." He said calmly.

Hermione arched a stern brow at Sirius, who looked a bit ashamed.

"Yes, I apologise…" Sirius muttered to the Welcome Witch, who still seemed annoyed, although slightly less so after receiving an apology.

The witch cleared her throat. "And your friend?"

Hermione too took a step closer to the front desk. "Lily Potter," she said, her voice faltering slightly.

They all watched as the front desk witch pursed her lips and tapped her wand onto a large clipboard next to her and muttered something under her breath.

"Yes. Fourth floor. Spell damage, Magical Emergencies sub ward," The witch said sourly.

The group nearly ran towards the double doors beside the front desk, yelling their thanks. The Welcome Witch shouted something behind them about visiting hours as they moved across the hallway on the Ground Floor ward, but no one paid her any attention. They were in rush to see their friend.

After many flights of stairs, the group finally reached the Spell Damage ward on the fourth floor. They stepped into another reception room, from where several doors led to many sub-wards.

"Where is it?" Hermione muttered as they eyed around them. There were only a small group of witches talking to a Healer who stood next to the reception desk, but the room was otherwise quiet.

"There!" Peter quipped and pointed to the door on their left, which was labelled with a small tag; Magical Emergencies.

They walked to the door only to find it locked.

"May I help you?" A Healer behind them asked with a stern voice. "Visitors' hours already ended a couple of hours ago," She continued simply.

Hermione gave Sirius a warning glance before he would lash out again, and turned to the Healer. She was a brown-haired woman in her thirties or so, and even though she seemed strict and authoritarian, Hermione could see dark circles under her eyes and weariness in her features.

"Our friend is here, Lily Potter. She had some complications and we're here to see her, and – "

The Healer interrupted her. "You're friends of Lily?" She asked quickly, her voice softer.

Sirius nodded. "Yes. Is she okay? What happened?" He asked urgently. Hermione could hear the dread in his voice.

"And is the baby okay? Is her husband here already?" Peter continued, staring at the Healer with an anxious look.

"Yes, the baby! And James! Is he here?" Sirius asked hurriedly, worry edged into his eyes.

The Healer lifted her hand to stop them. "Just calm down, will you?" She said with her voice thick with fatigue, her face grim. "Lily suffered a convulsion, which put her and the baby in grave danger," She explained steadily, and Hermione gasped loudly. Sirius, Regulus and Peter all whirled to look at her in alarm.

"We managed to heal her before the symptoms worsened, but we also had to deliver the baby a month early," The Healer continued. Hermione, Sirius, Regulus and Peter gaped at the Healer.

"The baby is now being monitored, but everything seems to be in order. Lily too is being monitored, and I reckon they'll both be staying here for some time before they can leave and head home," She said, a small reassuring smile on her lips.

Sirius let out a puff of a breath and leaned over, his hands against his knees. "Thank fuck!" He grumbled.

Peter and Hermione too let out sounds of relief before hugging each other tightly. Lily was going to be okay. The baby was going to be okay. Everything was going to be all right, Hermione was sure of it.

"Can we see them?" Sirius asked the Healer, running a hand through his hair. Hermione could see his hand was still shaking slightly.

The Healer eyed them for a moment. "I suppose, yes. They are stable, but there are so many of you…" She muttered and glanced around them. "Promise you won't stress her out? That you'll be the epitome of calmness?" She asked sternly, a small flicker of mischief in her eyes.

Sirius smirked at the Healer and gave her a subtle once over. "Certainly, ma'am."

The Healer's mouth quirked up a bit. "Well, go on then. Room eleven." She said and nodded her head to the door behind them. She waved her hand towards the door, performing wandless magic to unlock it.

"That was hot…" Sirius muttered, an awestruck look on his face as they stepped through the door and started to make their way towards the end of the hall.

Hermione scoffed, while Peter rolled his eyes at his friend. Soon they were standing in front of a door that was labelled with number eleven.

Hermione took a deep breath and knocked on the door softly. Seconds after Remus opened the door with a wide smile on his lips. "Hey, Mione," He muttered and pulled her into a warm embrace.

Hermione smiled back at her friend. "Good to see you, Remus," She murmured against him, only now realising how much she had missed him. How much she had missed everyone.

They broke away and Sirius grinned at his friend, his hands wide open. Remus rolled his eyes and turned his back, walking towards the back of the room, towards a curtained area. Hermione stifled a laugh and followed him in.

"What? No hugs for me?" Sirius asked with amusement and walked after his friends.

Hermione slipped through an opening between the curtains and took in the sight in front of her. Lily was on a hospital bed, half sitting against numerous pillows. Her hair was a mess, her face white, and she looked very, very tired. But happy. She was glowing with happiness. James sat next to her in an armchair, holding a small bundle against his chest. Hermione stifled a sob that threatened to escape her.

"Lily," She whispered and rushed towards her friend, blinking away the tears of relief, worry and joy.

Lily gave her a weary smile and opened her arms to hug her friend. "Mione," She whispered, her voice trembling. She was crying.

Hermione pulled back a bit and searched her face. "What's wrong? Are you hurting?" She asked with worry. She could see the boys – who had gathered around James – eye them with concern.

Lily shook her head and brushed her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "No, I'm just so happy. My family's finally here. _You_ are finally here," She said through a sob and smiled. Hermione could feel her own cheeks getting wet, and she blinked and shared a small laugh with Lily as they hugged again.

Mary walked into the room, holding two cups of tea in her hands. Her face broke into a wide smile as she saw Hermione and the others. "Mione!" She said happily and put the cups on a side table before hugging Hermione.

As they broke away, Mary kept Hermione in an arm's length and smirked. "Only took a baby being born to get you here. You sure drive a hard bargain," She said cheekily.

Lily tried to purse her lips but eventually giggled and let out a weary sigh. "I'm so happy you're both here. That you are all here," She said airily, her voice almost dreamy.

Mary arched a brow at Hermione, nodding her head at Lily. "And this one is stacked up with potions," She murmured and grinned at Lily, who scowled at her, evidently hearing what her friend had said.

Hermione laughed. It was good to be with them. But her focus was drifting more and more to the boys who had gathered around James, and especially to the smallest one.

Lily smiled. "Go on. Say hi to your godson." She said eagerly, her eyes twinkling.

Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded before she moved to the other side of the bed where James was situated. Hermione leaned to give James a quick hug. "Congratulations, James."

James smiled at her and stood up carefully. "You want to hold him?" He asked quietly, eyeing his son fondly, while he was sleeping peacefully in a swaddle.

Hermione gave him a hesitant nod, feeling nervous all of a sudden. James gestured for her to sit down and when she was sitting in the same armchair, he had vacated only moments before, he carefully placed the baby in her arms.

Hermione let out a soft gasp as she took in the baby's features. He looked so familiar, and even though she had always thought that all babies looked the same, this one didn't. He looked so much like James, and so much like Lily, that there was no doubt who his parents were.

He looked so much like Harry.

"Hi there," Hermione whispered, admiring the tufts of black hair she could see peaking from under his little hat. "I'm Hermione."

Peter and Sirius both came to take a look at the baby over her shoulder. "Have you guys figured out a name yet?" Sirius asked absently, his eyes fixed on the baby, a soft smile on his lips.

Hermione glanced at Lily, and then James, who was now sitting on the edge of Lily's bed. Lily cleared her throat, her eyes fixed on Hermione. "Yes, we have. Harry. Harry James Potter," she said gently.

Hermione gaped at her friends, the new parents, who both looked at her with a mix of understanding, sadness, and gratefulness.

"Um. I…That's…" She managed to get out, feeling utterly speechless. Lily and James knew about Harry? They had to, based on their looks.

Sirius hummed next to her, oblivious to the emotions coursing inside her. Only Remus – standing beside Lily and James – seemed to understand there was something going on as he eyed Hermione with a small recognition.

"Now that's a proper name," Sirius murmured to the baby.

Hermione pressed her lips together as tears started well up in her eyes, and nodded to James and Lily, sniffling as she turned to look at little Harry.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione said, her voice faltering. A couple of tears ran down her cheeks.

Sirius huffed. "Give him to me. You're smothering him with your tears," he said with a cheeky grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes but stood up and let Sirius take her place before giving Harry to him. She couldn't help but smile fondly as the raven-haired Marauder stared at the little boy in wonder, clearly emotional by holding his godson.

Hermione sat on the arm of Sirius's chair and gave James and Lily a hesitant look. "Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, a bittersweet feeling taking over.

Lily smiled. "Harry."

"Hey little Harry. I'm your godfather, Sirius, and you know, I have this killer motorcycle – "

"Sirius…" Lily said warningly.

Sirius chuckled. "Chillax, Lils. I'm not going to take him for a ride before he can sit. Which'll be like, I dunno, five or six months, eh?" He asked lightly, winking at the red-haired witch.

James chuckled. "How would you know that, Pads?" He asked with a teasing voice.

Sirius shrugged. "I might've read a book," he said vaguely.

Lily, Mary and Hermione all shared a look, trying to keep their faces straight and not giggle at the man for preparing himself for godfatherhood.

Remus smirked at his friend. "Didn't know you could read, Pads." he said playfully. James and Peter sniggered.

Sirius arched a brow at his friends. "Laugh all you want, mates, but when little Harry starts teething and I'll know all the tricks to soothe him, it's gonna be me laughing, just saying." He said slyly.

"And you know where we're gonna go with the bike, Harry?" Sirius continued knowingly to the still sleeping baby. "I mean, we might have to wait for a couple of years for you to get into Leaky, but I promise it'll be worth it. The birds _love_ the bike – "

"Okay, give him back, Pads. You're ruining him." James said with a mix of annoyance and amusement, while the rest of their group either shook their heads or rolled their eyes in exasperation.

James took Harry back and gave him to Lily while Sirius stood up and glanced around the room. "Where's Reggie?"

Only then Hermione realised that Regulus hadn't come inside the room with them. Sirius glanced at her, and Hermione gave him a slight shrug in reply.

"Be back in a bit…" Sirius murmured and left towards the hallway.

Hermione frowned. "I'll…I'll go too," she said and saw her friends exchange meaningful looks as she stood up and followed Sirius out of the room.

In the hallway, she saw Sirius and Regulus standing slightly further away, talking – or arguing – about something. Hermione walked hesitantly towards them.

"You don't _have_ to go, Reggie…" Sirius said and stared his brother intently.

Regulus nodded. "Yeah, I know. But I have some things to do, so…" He said, his voice trailing off as his focus flickered to Hermione.

"Regulus?" Hermione said tentatively. "Can I have a word?"

Sirius let out a sigh and lifted his hands with a hint of frustration. "Owl me then," He said tightly to his brother and gave Hermione a scrutinising look before he turned and walked back to the hospital room.

Regulus eyed Hermione with a small frown between his brows. "Hermione. How are you?" He asked politely.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, not really sure what to say to him. She hated how he was so distant and polite with her. She wanted nothing more than to forget the bad things in the past and start over, with him. She never wanted to be apart from him again. But she was afraid that she was too late.

"I'm…okay. I think." She said and swallowed. "And you?"

His lips quirked up a bit. "Brilliant." He said simply, and Hermione was left wondering if he was merely being ironic.

"Reg…" Hermione said, searching his face intently. She stared into his beautiful grey eyes, and it was like torture not to be closer to him, or to be held by him. She could see him look back at her with a mix of longingness and hurt.

"I – " She started, but was interrupted by the doors to the ward swinging open. Her eyes were drawn to the entrance. Gideon was there. "Gideon," She muttered, glancing at Regulus. His face was closed off, and his emotions locked behind his walls.

"Hermione!" Gideon called with surprise and happiness in his voice.

Hermione smiled at Gideon but her smile faded as she turned back to Regulus. "Regulus," Hermione said with twinge of pain, feeling suddenly torn.

"You should be with your friends, Hermione," He said with a hint of a smile. "We'll meet again," He murmured before she could object. With a final fleeting look towards her, he turned away, nodding at Gideon as he passed him by in the hall on his way out.

Gideon frowned a bit at Regulus and then at Hermione. "Hey…" Gideon said, while Hermione swallowed hard, blinking away tears, gritting her teeth. "Hey, Mione. What is it?" He asked worriedly as he studied her features. Hermione sniffled.

"Come here," He muttered and pulled her into a hug. They were silent for a moment. "You know, I _was_ expecting a bit more joyful reunion…" He said lightly.

Hermione laughed and pulled away. "I'm sorry, Gideon," She said with a small smile. "It's been a long day. Or night," She added as she glanced out of the window. It was still dark outside. She turned to look at him and saw his attire. "Why are you wearing…hold on – you're a patient in here?" She asked incredulously, her eyes widening slightly. "What is it? What's wrong with you?" She added, worry filling her again. It felt like her emotions had been on a non-stop rollercoaster during the past day.

Gideon waved his hand in dismissal. "It's nothing. An awry curse at practice. Have to be monitored here throughout the night though…" he said with a shrug. "I heard Lily was here, and thought I'd come by to see if she's okay and…" He said, his voice trailing off.

"She's fine. She had some complications but the Healers managed to heal her and deliver the baby," She explained and saw something flicker in his eyes. Hermione arched a brow. "Did you tell Lily about Harry?" She asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Gideon cringed. "Erm…Might've slipped," He said with an apologetic smile. Hermione lifted her brows. Gideon's shoulders sagged a bit. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have –" he started with a remorseful look in his eyes.

Hermione stopped him by touching his arm. "It's okay, Gideon. Everything is okay now," She said softly, a smile curving her lips.

Gideon grinned back. "So? Harry?" He asked, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

She nodded, feeling a rush of emotion as she thought of her old friend. "Harry."

* * *

It was close to morning hours when James ordered everyone to their homes so that the new family could rest after a tiresome night. Lily especially seemed exhausted, and the redhead gave her husband a grateful look as she said her goodbyes to her friends.

"Promise me you won't leave again, Hermione. At least not before I'm let out from here," Lily said, looking at her friend closely after hugging her goodbye.

Hermione nodded. Even though she was quite sure that she was coming back to live in her old flat if Remus still wanted to be her roommate, there was still a small part of her that had enjoyed the solitude. The freedom. "I promise I'll be here to keep you company," she said with a hint of a smile.

"You coming home?" Remus asked from her as they walked towards the fourth floor's reception room, with Mary, Sirius and Peter trailing behind them. Gideon had gone back to his room after seeing Harry and congratulating the new parents.

"Um…Sure. I think I'll be visiting Lily tomorrow, or, well, later on today anyway, so I'll be a bit closer. And I don't want to wake up Ab," Hermione said, worrying her lip.

Remus gave her a baffled smile but said nothing more on the matter. They said their goodbyes to Sirius and Peter, who both headed to Sirius's place, while Remus, Mary and Hermione left towards Dulwich Village.

After entering their place, Mary announced that she'd head up to bed. She gave Hermione a tight hug and kissed Remus on his cheek before staggering upstairs. Hermione and Remus were left standing in their sitting room.

"Fancy a drink? Or something to eat?" He asked and walked to the kitchen to rummage the cupboards. "A sandwich?"

Hermione shrugged. "Um, sure," she said, feeling rather hungry all of a sudden. She went to grab a glass of water and eyed Remus in his ministrations as she sipped her drink and leaned against the sink. "You're not tired?" She asked and glanced at the timepiece. It was almost three in the morning. Hermione felt rather worn-out, but her mind was still swarming with too many thoughts to go to sleep. She wished she'd had her Pensieve with her.

"Not really," He muttered, assembling their sandwiches. Hermione knew that he didn't sleep well right before the full moon and assumed that was the reason.

"Full moon?" Hermione asked carefully.

Remus hummed. "Highlight of my month, really…" he muttered bitterly.

Hermione gave him a sympathetic smile. "How are they going? The transformations? You're still on the potion, right?"

Remus finished with the sandwiches and gestured for her to sit at the table with him. Hermione followed him and sat opposite to him. "Yeah, I actually have a life-time supply of it after participating in Belby's study. And it's really great, you know, it has made a considerable improvement to my life. But…" He said, his voice trailing off as he glanced to the staircase.

"Hmm?" Hermione asked and eyed him closely. "Is everything okay with Mary?"

Remus sighed and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, everything's great. Only that…Well, we've been talking about our future and…I don't know, she…she wants a family," He said wearily.

Hermione lifted her brows slightly, feeling a bit surprised. It seemed that everyone was moving on with their lives. Moving on with their careers, getting married, starting families. She was happy for them, but at the same time, it made her feel slightly inadequate. "That's…Remus that's…"

"Horrifying. I know."

"No! No, I meant…That's wonderful," She said, smiling kindly at her friend.

She remembered how terrified Remus had been in her old life when he had found out that Tonks was pregnant, thinking that his child would be infected with Lycanthropy. She felt a small twinge of disorientation as she realised that his future with Tonks probably wouldn't happen in this universe. But she knew that it didn't mean that he wouldn't have a wonderful future with someone else. "If you want a family, Remus, you shouldn't think of your illness. It won't affect anything if you won't let it," She said softly.

Remus shook his head, finishing his sandwich. "I don't even know if I'm able to give her children. And what if they're…you know…" He said with a grimace.

"They won't be, and I'm rather certain you know it too," She said reassuringly.

Remus let out a weary sigh. "Yeah, well…enough about me. Are you back for good?" He asked intently.

Hermione's brow furrowed. She was silent for a while. "Yes. I think I am." She said quietly.

He nodded, a relieved look in his eyes. "That's good. And…how are you?" He asked, his eyes moving across her face.

Hermione gave him a tight smile. "As good as everyone else, I suppose," She said tiredly.

Remus eyed her unsurely for a moment before he spoke. "I remember you telling me about Harry and Ron," he said with a cautious look.

Hermione nodded, a smile tugging her lips. "Yes. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." She said with a wistful voice, revealing her friends' last names to him for the first time. "I didn't tell Lily though, she apparently heard if from Gideon. I didn't want to affect into anything anymore. I didn't want them to name the baby because of something that had happened in another life. But…they still did it," She said with a deep frown.

"So…You were Prong's child's best friend…?" Remus muttered and shook his head. "It's kind of remarkable, you know?" He said and grinned at her. "And no, I don't think they named him because he was Harry in your old life. I think one of the reasons they named him Harry was because of you. Because they know it means the world to you." He said kindly, searching her face.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but once again she was overwhelmed by emotions, by the love for her friends. She eventually nodded to him and cleared her throat. "However, it was good to be away from everything, to be by myself for a change. I mean, I was able to deal with everything…" She said absently, staring at a small crack in the wooden table. "But after a while, I realised how much I missed everyone. How much I wanted to come back," she said and looked into his compassionate eyes.

"I understand. And I couldn't be happier that you're finally back," He said with a grin. The look in his eyes turned a bit hesitant. "Although…Is it okay that Mary's here? We haven't really talked about it, and now that she's practically moved in during your absence…" He said, cringing a bit. "I'm sorry. I know I should've discussed it with you, but –"

"No worries. I'm glad she's here, Remus. And I know you two will probably want to live by yourselves soon, without a roommate, and that's okay too," she said gently.

Remus contemplated her words for a moment before he nodded slowly. "And what about a certain black-haired man?" He asked carefully.

"Regulus?"

"Yeah. Unless you have something going on with Pads as well?" He asked simply, and as Hermione scoffed, his expression turned into a mischievous one. "Had to throw it in there, you know?" He said with a small chuckle.

Hermione shook her head, smiling at her friend. "Yes, well, that ship has sailed, trust me. I'm friends with Sirius, nothing more. And as for his brother…well…" Hermione said, swallowing hard as she tried to think what the situation with Regulus was. Was there even a situation with him anymore?

"I don't know," She said eventually, feeling rather forlorn.

Remus eyed her closely for a moment. "So basically, you're both pining after each other but neither one of you has said anything to the other?" He asked with a wry look.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We're not pining after each other. And I just came here. We haven't really had the chance to talk about anything," She said dryly.

Remus arched a brow at her but said nothing, only yawned widely.

"You should go to sleep, Remus," Hermione said tenderly. "You need your strength."

Remus grumbled something incoherent in response and eventually stood up to kiss the top of her head before murmuring his goodnights and vanishing into the staircase.

* * *

 **November 3rd 1979 (Saturday)**

A couple of days later, Hermione was in Lily's hospital room, sitting in an armchair next to her bed. Both girls were reading and enjoying the quietness while baby Harry was sleeping. James had taken a quick trip to Godric's Hollow to make everything ready for the baby, even though Healer Jones, who was in charge of Lily's and Harry's care, had said that they would need to stay there at least a couple of days more. Harry had been born over a month too early, but he seemed to be in a good enough shape to leave the hospital soon. There was much that was possible to do with magic, to speed up the healing process and give enhanced treatments comparing to the muggle world, but in the end, it took time. Or so the Healer had told them.

After several long discussions during the previous days, in which Hermione and Lily had gone through everything that had happened after the war had ended, talked about Hermione's past and the Harry she had known as well as Hermione's plans regarding her future, Hermione thought it was good to just be quiet and enjoy each other's company for a change.

"So, let me get this straight. You've been here, what, four days, and you haven't even seen him after Wednesday?" Lily asked, looking over her book and fixing a scrutinising stare at her friend.

Hermione dropped her book on her lap and arched a brow at Lily. "You've been aching to talk about him, haven't you?" Hermione asked with a wry smile.

Lily smirked and shrugged slightly. "As you would expect. Well?" She asked pointedly.

Hermione sighed. She had wanted to talk with Regulus before he had left the hospital on Wednesday night, but it hadn't been the most convenient time. "Well, I tried to talk to him but he merely told me to be with my friends. And now I don't know if I should go to him, or if he even wants to figure us out anymore…" She said unsurely, chewing the inside of her cheek.

Lily scoffed. "Of course he told you to be with us. But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be with you as well," She said simply and eyed her friend thoughtfully. "You should go to him, Hermione. I know for a fact that he wants to…figure you guys out as you put it," She said with a knowing smile.

A flicker of hope crossed Hermione's mind. She nodded slowly. "Perhaps you're right," She muttered and gave a hesitant glance to the hospital room door.

Lily supressed a grin. "Well, what are you waiting for? I mean, Harry and I are not going to go anywhere," She said gently, her face dropping slightly. "In fact, we might still be here next week…" She muttered bitterly.

Hermione smiled at her friend. "I'm sure it won't be long before you can leave. Harry seems to be growing well – "

"Hermione!" Lily huffed, shaking her head with a slight frustration. "You're stalling. Go."

Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up slowly. "Fine. I'll go," She said with narrowed eyes.

Lily grinned at her. "Finally," She muttered under her breath as Hermione made her way towards the door.

"I heard that," Hermione said and gave her friend a quick scowl.

"I meant you to," Lily quipped back with a wide smirk.

Fifteen minutes later she was in Islington, facing the house number 12, Grimmauld Place. It was getting dark already, even though it was only early evening. Hermione took in a deep breath, calming her nerves before she walked towards the front steps. She couldn't see any light coming out from the windows but she also knew that the place always looked like that from the outside due to magic.

Trying to steel herself, she knocked on the door. And waited.

…And waited.

But nothing happened. No one came to open the door. Hermione sighed, disappointment filling her. She knew she should've sent him an owl, or better yet, sent him a message through the galleon as she suspected that he still had it. Only, she didn't have hers with her. It was nestled inside her beaded bag which was in her old room in Hog's Head, where she had left it along with every other meaningful possession from her past before she had left towards Boreray a couple of months ago. And now she needed that galleon.

Eventually, she turned around and made her way towards the nearest corner to disapparate, hoping that Ab would be okay with her visiting him sooner than they had agreed. After waking up in Dulwich Village on Thursday morning, Hermione had owled Ab and agreed to meet him on Sunday for afternoon tea.

After a tiresome apparition, Hermione was suddenly soaked in cold water. It was raining heavily, and with the cold November wind it felt like it was freezing her inside out. _Brilliant_ , Hermione thought and with a couple of quick flicks of her wand, she conjured an umbrella and dried her clothes. She walked briskly through the Hogsmeade Village towards the Hog's Head. There were a handful of people running along the streets, away from the rain. Finally, she reached the pub an entered into the slightly dodgy building, a place she had once called home. A place that wasn't at all that dodgy, at least when its usual clientele wasn't there.

The bearded old wizard behind the bar glanced at the door as it swung open, and a genuine smile curved his lips. "Hi there, lassie," Ab called over the scattering of patrons.

Hermione grinned at him, and looked around her with surprise. The pub seemed to be rather packed, with students, with Hogsmeade residents and such.

They walked towards each other and as they met, Ab pulled her into a crushing hug. "Good to see you, Mione," He said and pulled back to study her. "You're lookin' skinnier every time I see you," he muttered, gesturing for her to follow him upstairs.

"Oh. Um…Ab?" Hermione asked as she followed him unsurely.

"Yeah?" He asked as he opened the door to the staircase for her.

Hermione stopped and frowned at the crowded pub. "Shouldn't you be staying here? I mean, can you leave the place unattended?" She asked, thinking that his behaviour was a bit odd.

Ab waved a hand in dismissal. "They'll manage for a bit," He said and they walked up the stairs. "And besides, after the war, there really isn't much of a shady folk poppin' over," he said lightly.

Hermione nodded and from the top of the stairs she followed him into the sitting room, wondering how much had changed since the war had ended. She took her usual spot on the couch, while Ab sat in an armchair.

He eyed her for a while, his features soft. "How are you?"

Hermione smiled at him. "I'm better. You?"

Ab shrugged. "The same as always, I reckon."

"That's good. Have you had the chance to see anyone from the Order?" Hermione asked, curious to know how everyone was doing. She felt slightly bad for not contacting Molly and the others as she had been back a couple of days already.

Ab nodded. "Some of them, yeah. The ones who have been stopping by the pub for a chat," he said and flicked his wand to the kitchen, where Hermione could hear tea preparing itself.

"Your friends have been poppin' over a couple of times, Moody and Dearborn came by the other week, and I've met Augusta and Alder once in the village," he continued as a tray with two cups and a couple of biscuits flew from the kitchen, landing softly on the coffee table in front of them.

"Oh. How are they?" Hermione asked carefully and took her cup from the tray. They must've been devastated. Hermione couldn't even begin to understand how hard it was to lose a child.

Ab gave her a grim look. "They're getting by," he said simply.

Hermione nodded and then hesitated. "I actually needed something. Something I left here," She said vaguely.

Ab arched a brow and sipped his tea.

"A coin." Hermione said and took a biscuit.

Ab merely stared at her and waited for her to continue.

Hermione sighed. "It's a form of communication. I've charmed it," She explained.

"Oh? And is there a certain young man with whom you're communicating?" Ab asked, his eyes twinkling slightly.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well, there might be," She said with a hint of smirk, even though she was feeling rather anxious.

Ab waved his hand. "Well, go on then. But I'll expect you here by two o'clock tomorrow for that tea. Don't keep your old man waiting, eh?" He said lightly and stood up, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Hermione smiled. "I won't. Thank you, Ab."

Ab grunted something in reply as he went back downstairs to take care of the pub.

Hermione walked upstairs and stopped in front of her old room. She took in a deep breath and stepped into the room. It was half-empty, as most of her things were either in Dulwich village or in the cottage in Boreray Island. There were a handful of boxes and miscellaneous items left by Dumbledore and herself. Hermione went to the writing desk and sat down on the chair, and stared out from the window as her mind drifted to the few nights she had spent with Regulus in her old room. She remembered how he had looked at her after the raid, how he'd been so broken, so lost. How he wordlessly had pleaded with her, his stormy grey eyes beseeching hers.

Hermione swallowed hard and opened the small drawer in the desk. There was only a single item. Her beaded bag that contained everything from her past. She had left it behind, because there had been too many memories inside the bag, and she knew she couldn't have got better if she'd have them with her.

She opened the bag and summoned the galleon from there. Two golden coins zoomed up and dropped on her palm. Hermione inspected both, recognising instantly which was which. Lily had sent a message to the one that was linked with the girls. Now it was only Mary and Hermione who'd read it, Hermione thought sadly.

 _Hermione? How did it go? –LP_

It had to be a new message, since Hermione knew the coin could show messages only for a day or so. And Hermione knew just what her friend was asking.

She tapped the coin with her wand and sent back a message.

 _He wasn't home. –HD_

She fiddled with the other coin, the blank one, thinking of what she wanted to say to him – if she would even send a message. What if his feelings had changed? He had been so distant in the hospital. The other coin heated up against her palm.

 _Oh. Bugger. Where are you? –LP_

Hermione sighed and answered to her friend.

 _I'm at Ab's. Back tomorrow night. Tell Remus if you see him? –HD_

It took only a moment for Lily to reply.

 _Of course. Take care, Mione. I'll see you tomorrow? –LP_

Hermione smiled.

 _You too. I'll come by around midday. –HD_

She dropped both coins on the writing desk and decided to think what exactly she wanted to say to Regulus before reaching out to him. Should she ask him to meet her? Or just ask how he was?

Hermione shook her head slightly and made her way back downstairs, deciding to eat something in the pub instead and spend a bit more time with Ab if he wasn't too busy.

An hour and a half later, Hermione was back upstairs, sitting on a bed she had transfigured from an armchair. She had the galleon on her palm again, the one linked to the coin Regulus assumedly still had.

She had decided to ask him to meet her. She knew it was already late, and so she thought they could meet the next day instead – if he agreed. Chewing the inside of her cheek, Hermione tapped her wand to the coin.

 _Regulus? Can we meet? –HD_

She waited. Again. She stared at the coin, not daring to blink so that she didn't miss his message. But it never came. Minutes went by, and Hermione began to feel a lump in her throat. Ten minutes later she stood up and placed the galleon on the writing desk. Hermione took a deep breath, trying not to think of the worst. She knew it was possible that he didn't have his galleon anymore. She wondered if it had been taken from him before the final battle, when they'd been held in the basement. Regulus never mentioned anything about it, so Hermione couldn't be sure.

There was the possibility that he just didn't want to answer to her.

She felt her eyes sting with tears as she stared at her reflection in the window. Had their time passed already? Was it too late? A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye, and then there was a knock on her door.

Hermione quickly wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and turned to the door. "Just a moment, Ab!" She called and took a calming breath before walking to the door and opening it.

Only it wasn't Ab. It was Regulus.

Hermione took in a sharp breath, rendered speechless by his presence, yet again.

"Can we talk now?" He asked quietly, staring at her hesitantly.

Hermione cleared her throat, and nodded to him. "Of course, um, come in," she muttered and backed away slightly. Regulus closed the door behind him and came to stand in front of her, in the middle of the room.

"You came to see me?" He asked, a careful tone in his voice.

Hermione nodded. "Um, yes. It was silly of me, to come without notice," She explained, and then frowned. "How did you know though?" She asked curiously.

His lips twitched. "My brother told me. I was with him this evening. He wanted to buy a toy broomstick for Harry and dragged me against my will through Diagon Alley. It was that or a night in the pub with him and his friends," he said wryly.

Hermione frowned. Then she remembered Lily mentioning that the guys were going to a pub later on that evening, and the reason for it. "Oh! Sirius's birthday!" She said abruptly, cringing inwardly as she had forgotten all about it.

"Yeah. Eventually he settled for a singing toy and went to Mungo's to give it to Harry," he said, studying her features.

"Oh. So…Lily told him where I was…" Hermione said absently.

Regulus nodded. "My brother came after me fifteen minutes later, and told me that if I didn't come here straight away, he'd scourge me," He said plainly.

Hermione gave him a bewildered look.

"Not – not that I didn't want to come here, to come to you," He added, his grey eyes searching hers.

Hermione swallowed nervously. "Oh?"

Regulus watched her motions carefully before he spoke. "I can't stop thinking about you. You have pierced my soul. You're in my head, always."

Hermione let out a puff of breath, surprised and excited to hear his words.

"I need to be with you, Hermione. I want to share everything with you. I want a good life. And I want that with you…if you'll have me?" he said earnestly, his voice trembling slightly, his eyes filled with fear, with longing, with hunger.

She didn't even realise she was crying before he brushed a tear away from her cheek. She didn't know it was possible to feel like that. To be so moved by someone. She didn't know it was possible to love someone so deeply that it physically hurt. And she did.

"Hermione –" Regulus murmured, but didn't have a chance to finish before she pressed herself against him and captured his lips in a bruising kiss. With a muffled groan, he pulled her closer, and she could feel her skin tingle under his soft hands, that ran up and down her back. He kissed her deeply, tangled his fingers into her curls and held her in place as he ravaged her mouth.

Hermione didn't remember when was the last time she had been kissed like that, with unbearable starvation, with utter desperation, making every nerve in her body become alive and yearn for him. She slid her hands up his torso, caressing his shoulders, his arms, his hips. It was thrilling, to touch him like that again after such a long time, and she could feel him hum agreeably as he kissed her deeper and deeper, his tongue pushing into her mouth, caressing hers with an excruciating desire.

With a loud gasp, he pulled back abruptly. "Was that a yes?" He asked with a spellbound look, a small curve on his lips.

Hermione was equally enthralled. She stared into his grey eyes, feeling suddenly a bit unsure. Would they survive this time? When there were no wars and Death Eaters, no dark side and the light. They were merely young adults, who were in the beginning of their lives. His thumb brushed her cheek, and Hermione saw him look at her with such devotion, that it equally scared and calmed her. She needed to know that they were going to survive, that they would be together. She needed to know that he wouldn't leave her, ever again.

"Say that this is forever," She whispered after a moment, swallowing nervously.

Regulus gave her a pleading look, looking so vulnerable and sincere at the same time. "Now that I have you, I have no intention of letting you go, not now. Not ever."

With a content sigh, she slid her hands around his neck and pulled his head back down to meet her lips.

During the past years, she had felt like drowning, she had felt empty, and so had he. They were both damaged, but they were healing. Hermione had felt anxious and, on the edge, whenever she had thought about the future before, but now she was ready.

She was ready to start her life again, with him.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for sharing this journey with me!**


End file.
